The Deaflympics also known as Deaflympiad are a periodic series of multi-sport events sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at which Deaf athletes compete at an elite level. Unlike the athletes in other IOC-sanctioned events, athletes cannot be guided by sounds. The games have been organized by the Comité International des Sports des Sourds since the first event in 1924.
Ruth Mae Taubert Seeger was an American athlete and coach. She was the first woman to be chosen for the United States track and field team for the 1957 World Games for the Deaf.
Rebecca Meyers is a Paralympic swimmer of the United States. She won three gold and one silver medals in Rio 2016. She was also a member of the 2012 Paralympic Team, and won a silver and bronze in London. Rebecca Meyers has also competed at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Taiwan, which is also her only appearance at the Deaflympics. She also clinched a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event in the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.
Virender SinghYadav is an Indian freestyle wrestler. Competing in the 74 kg weight division, he has won 3 Deaflympics Gold Medals and a bronze medal in 4 appearances. He won gold medals at 2005 Summer Deaflympics, 2013 Summer Deaflympics and 2017 Summer Deaflympics. In addition to that, he also won a bronze at 2009 Summer Deaflympics.
Cindy-Lu Bailey, also known as Cindy-Lu Fitzpatrick, is a former Australian deaf swimmer who has represented Australia in both Commonwealth Games and in Deaflympics. She is considered to be the most decorated woman in Deaflympics history with a record haul of 29 medals, which is the highest among women in Deaflympics. Bailey is also one of the greatest swimmers of Australia in history.
Melinda Louise Vernon is an Australian female deaf track and field athlete, triathlete as well as a swimmer. She competed at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics and in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics representing Australia. Vernon won 2 gold, 1 silver and a bronze medal in the Deaflympic events she had competed in Athletic events.
Czech Republic which was formerly a part of Czechoslovakia, first competed at the Deaflympics, as an independent nation in 1993. But in 1993, coincidentally Czechoslovakia competed in its last Deaflympic event. Prior to the Dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, Czech athletes went on to compete at the Deaflympics from 1928 to 1993 for Czechoslovakia.
Emily Hangstefer is an American deaf tennis player. She has competed at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Shi Ce is a Chinese deaf female table tennis player. She has represented China at the Deaflympics four times from 2005 to 2017. Shi Ce has been regarded as one of the finest athletes to have represented China at the Deaflympics, having won 14 medals at the event since making her debut in the 2005 Summer Deaflympics.
Tamara Johanna Foronda, often known as Tamara J. Foronda, is an American volleyball player who has also played beach volleyball and handball in addition to her sports career. She has represented United States at the Deaflympics on three occasions in three different sporting events. She has been a good court volleyball player and used to play volleyball during her leisure time. She graduated at the Gallaudet University.
Natasha "Courage" Bacchus is a Canadian female Deaf track and field athlete. She has represented Canada at the Deaflympics in 1993, 1997, and in 2001.
Dawn Jani Birley is a Canadian deaf actress, television anchor, educator and a popular taekwondo practitioner. She was engaged with her sport, taekwondo in her early parts of the life before becoming a professional actor in the mid-2000s. She graduated at the Gallaudet University.
Cecilia Helena Ferm is a Swedish deaf female basketball player. She has represented both national and deaf basketball teams. Ferm has participated at the Deaflympics on 5 occasions since making her debut in the 1993 Summer Deaflympics.
Beryl Atieno Wamira is a Kenyan female deaf track and field athlete. She competed in the 2013 Summer Deaflympics and in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics representing Kenya. She has won a total of 3 medals in her Deaflympic career including a Junior deaf world record breaking gold medal in the women's 200m event during the 2013 Summer Deaflympics.
Tereza Kmochová is a Czech deaf female alpine skier. She has represented Czech Republic in Winter Deaflympics, Winter Universiade and in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. She generally competes in the women's combined, slalom, giant slalom, Super-G events at international alpine skiing competitions. She is considered one of the finest deaflympic alpine skiers to have competed at the Deaflympics and also regarded as a finest athlete to have represented Czech Republic at the Deaflympics with a record haul of 10 medals including 7 gold medals. In the 2015 Winter Deaflympics she created history after winning gold medals in all five events such as giant slalom, super combined, slalom, downhill and Super-G.
Peggy de Villiers is a South African deaf swimmer. She represented South Africa at the Deaflympics in 2009 and 2013. She made her Deaflympic debut at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics and claimed 4 medals including a gold medal in the 50m backstroke event with a world record breaking timing of 31.11 for deaf swimming at that time. She currently holds the deaf world swimming records in the women's 50m butterfly and women's 100m butterfly categories. She completed her undergraduated swimming career with the University of West Florida as a member of the college team.
Trude Raad is a deaf Norwegian track and field athlete. She generally competes in the discus throw and hammer throw events at the International competitions. Trude has represented Norway at the Deaflympics in 2009, 2013 and 2017 and has won 4 gold medals in her Deaflympic career. She was also a champion in the women's hammer throw event at the Deaflympics on 3 consecutive occasions. She broke her own deaf world record in the women's hammer throw at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics with a distance of 66.35m, the previous best was 65.03m
Nele Alder-Baerens is a German female distance runner and marathon runner. She is regarded as one of the finest long-distance runners from Germany to have represented the nation at the Deaflympics. Nele Alder-Baerens has represented Germany at the Deaflympics in 1997, 2001, 2005, 2017 and in 2022 has clinched 5 medals in her Deaflympic career including 2 gold medals. She is also the defending champion in the women's marathon at the Deaflympics. Nele also currently holds few deaf world records in the women's Athletics.
Marie-Paule Miller is a former French female deaf sprinter and heptathlete. She made her Deaflympic debut at the 1993 Summer Deaflympics which was also her only appearance in the Deaflympics event.
Tone Tangen Myrvoll is a former Norwegian deaf cross-country skier, orienteer and runner. She has represented Norway in both Summer and Winter Deaflympics from 1985 to 2003 on seven occasions. She has competed at the Summer Deaflympics in 1985 and in 1989 and competed at the Winter Deaflympics in 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999 and in 2003. Tone Tangen Myrvoll initially started her career as orienteer before pursuing her career in cross country skiing. She is regarded as the most successful cross country skier in Deaflympic history with a medal tally of 15 including 11 gold medals. She is also the most successful athlete from Norway to compete at the Deaflympics.
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