The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the tenth Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler. With a theme of "One Inspires Many," the Opening Ceremony featured over 5000 local performers. Fifteen-year-old snowboarder Zach Beaumont, who is an amputee, was the final torch bearer and lit the Games Cauldron. The 2 hours live ceremony was produced by Vancouver-based Patrick Roberge Productions Inc.
The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, United States, from March 7 to 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated. They were the first Winter Paralympics in the American continent.
These were the first Paralympic Winter Games for Andorra, Chile,
China, Croatia, Greece, and Hungary.
Ragnhild Myklebust of Norway won five gold medals in skiing and biathlon, becoming the most successful Winter Paralympic athlete of all time with 22 medals, 17 of them gold.
Australia has competed in every Winter Paralympics. In 1976, the first Games, Australia's sole competitor was Ron Finneran, but he was not an official entrant. In 1980, Kyrra Grunnsund and Peter Rickards became the first official competitors, in alpine and cross-country skiing. The number of Australian athletes increased to three, five, five and six at the next four games, respectively, and all of the athletes were alpine skiers. The participation decreased to four in 1998 and climbed back up to six in 2002. Australia won its first Winter Paralympic medals in 1992, and has medalled at every games since then. All of the medals have been won in alpine skiing.
Croatia competed at the Olympic Games for the first time as an independent nation in 1992, and has participated in every Games since then.
Teams from Yugoslavia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1920. Previously, several athletes from Croatia, Slovenia and northern Serbian province Vojvodina had competed for Austria or Hungary when those countries were part of the Empire of Austria-Hungary. A small team of two athletes had competed distinctly for Serbia at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
Croatia competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country's delegation consisted of 25 competitors.
Croatia participated at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Croatian delegation consisted of nineteen athletes in four sports.
Croatia sent a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver. A total of four athletes competed, all in alpine skiing.
Croatia, following its independence, made its Paralympic Games début at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, sending three competitors in swimming, two in shooting and one in track and field. The latter, Milka Milinković, won Croatia's first Paralympic medal, and its only medal of the 1992 Games - a bronze in the women's javelin.
Norway has participated in every edition of both the Summer and Winter Paralympics, except the second Summer Games in 1964. It was one of the seventeen countries to take part in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of eleven athletes. Norway was the host country of both the 1980 Winter Paralympics, in Geilo, and the 1994 Winter Paralympics, in Lillehammer.
Ukraine made its Paralympic Games début at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta, with thirty athletes competing in archery, track and field, powerlifting, swimming, and sitting volleyball. Vasyl Lishchynskyy won Ukraine's first Paralympic gold medal, in the shot put, and Ukrainians also won four silver medals and two bronze. Ukrainians had previously participated within the Soviet Union's delegation in 1988, and as part of the Unified Team in 1992. Ukraine, following its independence from the Soviet Union, missed out on the 1994 Winter Games, but made its Winter Paralympics début at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. Ukraine has competed at every edition of the Summer and Winter Games since then and have done so with remarkable success.
Sledge hockey classification is the classification process for people who play ice sledge hockey. The classification system is governed by the International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge Hockey.
Croatia competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7 to 23 February 2014. Croatia qualified 11 athletes, the least number of athletes in the least number of sports since the 1998 Winter Olympics.
Croatia competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, held between 7–16 March 2014.
Croatia competed at the 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City, United States. 2 competitors from Croatia won no medals and so did not place in the medal table.
Croatia sent seven competitors to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in three disciplines - alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowboarding. Snowboarder Bruno Bošnjak won a bronze medal, the first ever medal for Croatia at any Winter Paralympic Games.
Croatia competed at the Youth Olympic Games for the first time in 2010, and has participated in every Games since then.
Dino Sokolović is an alpine skier who won Croatia its first gold at any Winter Paralympics.
