Belgium at the 1972 Summer Paralympics | |
---|---|
IPC code | BEL |
NPC | Belgian Paralympic Committee |
Website | www |
in Heidelberg | |
Competitors | 23 |
Medals |
|
Summer Paralympics appearances | |
Belgium sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent twenty three competitors, eighteen male and five female. [1]
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe. It is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the southwest, and the North Sea to the northwest. It covers an area of 30,688 km2 (11,849 sq mi) and has a population of more than 11.4 million. The capital and largest city is Brussels; other major cities are Antwerp, Ghent, Charleroi and Liège.
The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.
Heidelberg ( HY-dəl-burg, German: [ˈhaɪdl̩bɛʁk] is a university town in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. In the 2016 census, its population was 159,914, of which roughly a quarter consisted of students.
Athletes at the Paralympics in 1972 were all afflicted by spinal cord injuries and required the use of a wheelchair. [2] This is in contrast to later Paralympics that include events for participants that fit into any of five different disability categories; amputation, either congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy; wheelchair athletes; visual impairment, including blindness; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism or multiple sclerosis. [3] [4] Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. [5]
A spinal cord injury (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that causes temporary or permanent changes in its function. Symptoms may include loss of muscle function, sensation, or autonomic function in the parts of the body served by the spinal cord below the level of the injury. Injury can occur at any level of the spinal cord and can be complete injury, with a total loss of sensation and muscle function, or incomplete, meaning some nervous signals are able to travel past the injured area of the cord. Depending on the location and severity of damage, the symptoms vary, from numbness to paralysis to incontinence. Long term outcomes also ranges widely, from full recovery to permanent tetraplegia or paraplegia. Complications can include muscle atrophy, pressure sores, infections, and breathing problems.
Amputation is the removal of a limb by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for such problems. A special case is that of congenital amputation, a congenital disorder, where fetal limbs have been cut off by constrictive bands. In some countries, amputation of the hands, feet or other body parts is or was used as a form of punishment for people who committed crimes. Amputation has also been used as a tactic in war and acts of terrorism; it may also occur as a war injury. In some cultures and religions, minor amputations or mutilations are considered a ritual accomplishment.
Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of permanent movement disorders that appear in early childhood. Signs and symptoms vary among people and over time. Often, symptoms include poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. There may be problems with sensation, vision, hearing, swallowing, and speaking. Often, babies with cerebral palsy do not roll over, sit, crawl or walk as early as other children of their age. Other symptoms include seizures and problems with thinking or reasoning, which each occur in about one third of people with CP. While symptoms may get more noticeable over the first few years of life, underlying problems do not worsen over time.
Brazil sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent eight competitors, eight male and none female.
Canada sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent forty competitors, twenty seven male and thirteen female.
Czechoslovakia sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent nineteen competitors, fourteen male and five female.
Denmark sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent ten competitors, eight male and two female.
France sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent sixty two competitors, forty two male and twenty female.
Hong Kong sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent ten competitors, ten male and zero female.
Hungary sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent five competitors, four male and one female.
Ireland sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent seventeen competitors, eight male and nine female.
Israel sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent thirty two competitors, twenty one male and eleven female.
Italy sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent twenty five competitors, twenty male and five female.
Japan sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent twenty eight competitors, twenty three male and five female.
Malaysia sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent four competitors, four male and zero female.
Malta sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent eight competitors, five male and three female.
Mexico sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent seven competitors, seven male and zero female.
Poland sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent twenty two competitors, twelve male and ten female.
Romania sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent one competitor, male.
Spain sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent twenty competitors, eleven male and nine female.
Sweden sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent thirty eight competitors, thirty male and eight female.
Switzerland sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent thirty six competitors, thirty two male and four female.
The Republic of Yugoslavia sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent twenty two competitors, fifteen male and seven female.
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