The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years to take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" was used officially.
The 1976 Summer Paralympics, branded as Torontolympiad – 1976 Olympiad for the Physically Disabled, was the fifth Paralympic Games to be held. They were hosted by Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from 3 to 11 August 1976, marking the first time a Paralympics was held in the Americas and in Canada. The games began three days after the close of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.
The 1984 International Games for the Disabled, canonically the 1984 Summer Paralympics, were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. There were two separate competitions: one in Stoke Mandeville, England, United Kingdom for wheelchair athletes with spinal cord injuries and the other at the Mitchel Athletic Complex and Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, United States for wheelchair and ambulatory athletes with cerebral palsy, amputees, and les autres [the others]. Stoke Mandeville had been the location of the Stoke Mandeville Games from 1948 onwards, seen as the precursors to the Paralympic Games, as the 9th International Stoke Mandeville Games in Rome in 1960 are now recognised as the first Summer Paralympics. As with the 1984 Summer Olympics, the Soviet Union and other communist countries except China, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia boycotted the Paralympic Games. The Soviet Union did not participate in the Paralympics at the time, arguing that they have no disabled people in the country. The USSR made its Paralympic debut in 1988, during Perestroika.
Brunei participated in the Olympic Games for the first time at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. The nation sent one official, but no athletes. It would be eight years later, at the 1996 Games, before athletes from Brunei would compete at the Olympic Games for the first time.
Nepal has competed in twelve Summer Games, and in four Winter Olympic Games.
Myanmar, then competing as Burma, first participated at the Olympic Games in 1948, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the 1976 Games. The nation has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games. Since the 1992 Games, the nation has been designated as Myanmar in Olympic competition.
Bradley James Thomas, OAM, was an Australian Paralympic Athlete who competed in three Paralympic competitions between 1988 and 1996 in an athletic career that spanned 15 years. Thomas was born in Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania. Whilst competing at these Paralympic Games, Thomas received 4 Paralympic medals. He was in the T44 (classification) and F44 (classification) for his disability and competed in many events. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1997 and also was inducted into the Tasmanian Hall of Fame in 2006. Thomas is currently working in Sydney as CEO of Prophecy International as well CEO of two wholly owned subsidiaries of Prophecy international, eMite and Snare Solutions.
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea. Its athletes finished first in the gold and overall medal count.
Myanmar has been a sporadic participant in the Paralympic Games. It first competed, as Burma, at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, with a delegation in track and field and shooting. These athletes were fairly successful, Tin Ngwe becoming Burma's first Paralympic champion by winning the men's 100m sprint in the C1 category. Aung Than won silver in the same event, while Tin Win took bronze in the men's 100m in category C. Burma was absent from the 1980 Games, returning in 1984 to take part in volleyball and track and field. Tin Ngwe, in category A3, won gold in the men's high jump, and silver in the long jump, while Aung Gyi won silver and bronze, respectively, in those same two events. In both Burma's appearances in the Paralympics, it fielded all-male delegations.
Oman made its Paralympic Games début at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, with competitors taking part in track and field, table tennis, weightlifting and wheelchair fencing. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never entered the Winter Paralympics. Oman's largest delegation was in 1988 with seven athletes. Only male athletes competed until 2016 when Raya Al’Abri competed in women's javelin. Oman won its first medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics when Mohammed al-Mashaykhi won bronze in the Men's shot put F32.
The Philippines made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul and has been fielding athletes up to the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. Its athletes has won two bronze medals; Adeline Dumapong in powerlifting (2000), and Josephine Medina in table tennis (2016). The country has never won a Paralympic gold medal.
Cyprus made its Paralympic Games début at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, with a delegation of six athletes competing in archery, track and field, and swimming. The country has taken part in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never participated in the Winter Paralympics.
The United States Virgin Islands competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's eleventh appearance at the Olympics, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, because of the United States boycott.
Australia competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea in 16 sports, winning medals in 6 sports. Gold medals were won in three sports – athletics, lawn bowls and swimming. Australia won 95 medals – 23 gold, 34 silver and 38 bronze medals. Australia finished 10th on the gold medal table and 7th on the combined medal table. Australian Confederation of Sports for the Disabled reported another medal ranking after Games with Australia being 2nd ranked in amputee sports, 8th in wheelchair sports, 11th in blind sports and 12th in cerebral palsy sports.
Myanmar competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, held from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's sixteenth appearance at the Olympics, although at most previous Games it competed under the name Burma. Myanmar did not participate at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal for political reasons.
Netherlands competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea. The team included 110 athletes, 76 men and 34 women. Competitors from Netherlands won 83 medals, including 30 gold, 24 silver and 29 bronze to finish 8th in the medal table.
Kenya competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Liechtenstein competed at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea. 2 competitors from Liechtenstein won no medals and so did not place in the medal table. Athlete Iris Schaelder competed in the Women's Long Jump B1, having previously competed in the same event in 1984. Table Tennis player Peter Frommelt competed in the Men's Singles TT5 and reached the quarter-final where he lost to the silver medallist Thomas Schmitt.
