Paralympic Games

Olivér Halassy, a Hungarian amputee water polo player, competed in three successive Olympic Games, beginning in 1928.

The German-Jewish doctor Ludwig Guttmann, of Stoke Mandeville Hospital,[8] who had fled Nazi Germany with the help of the Council for Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) in 1939,[9] hosted a sports competition for British World War II veteran patients with spinal cord injuries.

The games were held at the same location each year, and in 1952 Dutch and Israeli veterans took part alongside the British, making it the first international competition of its own kind.

International Federations responsibilities include technical jurisdiction and guidance over the competition and training venues of their respective sports during the Paralympic Games.

The IPC also recognizes media partners, certifies officials, judges, and is responsible for enforcing the bylaws of the Paralympic Charter.

The present formal explanation for the name is that it derives from the Greek preposition παρά, pará ('beside' or 'alongside') and thus refers to a competition held in parallel with the Olympic Games.

The change was intended to convey the idea that Paralympians have a spirit of competition and that the IPC as an organization realizes its potential and is moving forward to achieve it.

[37] After these compulsory elements, the next host nation briefly introduces itself with artistic displays of dance and theater representative of its culture.

The winner, second and third-place competitors or teams stand on top of a three-tiered rostrum when they are awarded their respective medal by an IPC member.

[41][42] Even beyond this, all Summer and Winter host cities currently[update] announced are preparing pairs of Olympic and Paralympics Games.

The IOC has written its commitment to equal access to athletics for all people into its charter, which states,[43]The practice of sport is a human right.

[44] This is also consistent with the Paralympic Charter, which forbids discrimination on the basis of political, religious, economic, disability, gender, sexual orientation or racial reasons.

[47] The Russian Federation organizers of the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games have, since 2007, made efforts to make the host city Sochi more accessible.

The precedent was set by Neroli Fairhall, a Paralympic archer from New Zealand, who competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Unlike the Olympics, the IPC holds the digital rights to the Paralympics in some markets, allowing it to promote live coverage and other highlights via its own social media platforms to engage online audiences.

A deal was reached between the Sydney Paralympic Organizing Committee (SPOC) and All Media Sports (AMS) to broadcast the Games internationally.

Deals were reached with Asian, South American, and European broadcast companies to distribute coverage to as many markets as possible.

NRK-sport were critical of parts of the TV production from Vancouver, and notified the EBU of issues such as the biathlon coverage excluding the shooting, and cross-country skiing with skiers in the distance, making it hard to follow the progress of the competition.

NRK were far more pleased with the production of the ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling events, which they felt reached the same level as the Olympic Games.

[67] A 2010 study by the University of British Columbia (UBC) on the Olympic Games Impact (OGI), showed that of roughly 1,600 Canadian respondents, 41 to 50 percent believed the 2010 Paralympic and Olympic Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, triggered additional accessibility of buildings, sidewalks and public spaces.

Although swimmers with Down syndrome are able to compete in the S14 intellectual impairment category (provided they score low in IQ tests), they are often outmatched by the superior physicality of their opponents.

[74] Initiatives aimed at promoting greater inclusivity within the Paralympic movement have emerged, including advocacy and awareness-raising efforts targeting discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for athletes with Down syndrome.

[75] Despite ongoing advocacy, the issue remains unresolved, and swimmers with Down syndrome continue to face challenges in accessing appropriate classification pathways.

[88] The ban was lifted after the 2008 Games after work had been done to tighten the criteria and controls governing admission of athletes with intellectual disabilities.

[92] At the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, Swedish curler Glenn Ikonen tested positive for a banned substance and was suspended for six months[93] by the IPC.

[99] The IPC has also promised to continue increasing the number of athletes tested at each of its Games, in order to further minimize the possible effect of doping in Paralympic sports.

[99] Mandatory in- and out-of competition testing has also been implemented by the IPC to further ensure all of its athletes are performing in compliance with WADA regulations.

[99] Having sent samples for forensic analysis, the IPC found evidence that the prevalent doping by Russian athletes was in operation at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi.

[100] On 7 August 2016, the IPC's Governing Board voted unanimously to ban the entire Russian team from the 2016 Summer Paralympics, citing the Russian Paralympic Committee's inability to enforce the IPC's Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code which is "a fundamental constitutional requirement".

[100] IPC President Sir Philip Craven stated that the Russian government had "catastrophically failed its Para athletes".