Athletics is a group of sporting events that involves competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and racewalking.
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 physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. 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 1964 Summer Paralympics, originally known as the 13th International Stoke Mandeville Games and also known as Paralympic Tokyo 1964, were the second Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Tokyo, Japan, and were the last Summer Paralympics to take place in the same city as the Summer Olympics until the 1988 Summer Paralympics.
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was first time the new Paralympic logo featured in the Summer Paralympics since its rebranding after the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
Fiji, having made its Olympic debut at the 1956 Summer Games, has competed at fourteen Summer Games and three Winter Games. Its athletes have taken part in archery, athletics, boxing, football, judo, sailing, shooting, swimming, weightlifting and rugby sevens.
Fiji sent a team to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The country's flagbearer during the Games' opening ceremony was female sprinter Makelesi Bulikiobo. Fiji was represented by a total of six athletes.
Papua New Guinea sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country was represented by two athletes, Francis Kompaon and Joyleen Jeffrey, both competing in track and field. The country had requested wildcard entries, but the request was turned down by the Beijing Paralympic organisers.
Singapore sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, represented by six athletes competing in four sports: swimming, sailing, equestrian and athletics. The country's flagbearer at the Games' opening ceremony was supposed to be Desiree Lim, a sailor. However, as the sailing events were held in Qingdao, it was Theresa Goh (swimming) who was the flagbearer on that day. The 2008 Summer Paralympics marked the first time Singapore had won a Paralympic medal of any kind.
Ranjesh Prakash in Vatulaulau, Ba, Fiji, is a Fiji Islands track and field athlete. He competes in sprinting for athletes with visual impairments.
Trischa Zorn is an American Paralympic swimmer. Blind from birth, she competed in Paralympic swimming. She is the most successful athlete in the history of the Paralympic Games, having won 55 medals, and was inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame in 2012. She took the Paralympic Oath for athletes at the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta.
Fiji first competed at the Summer Paralympic Games in 1964, sending a single athlete to compete in weightlifting, then missed out on two consecutive Games before returning in 1976, with a larger delegation of eight competitors in swimming and athletics. The country was then absent for four more consecutive Games, returning to the Paralympics in 1996 with two competitors in athletics. Fiji has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Games.
Canada has participated eleven times in the Summer Paralympic Games and in all Winter Paralympic Games. They first competed at the Summer Games in 1968 and the Winter Games in 1976.
Botswana made its Paralympic Games début at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, sending a single representative to compete in athletics. Morama entered only the women's 400m T46 sprint, and won gold, setting a world record time of 55.99. No further athletes from Botswana have competed at the Summer Games, and Botswana has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics - leaving the country with a 100% gold medal success rate so far.
Fiji competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's thirteenth appearance at the Olympics, having appeared at every games since 1956 except the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow due to its support for the American-led boycott.
Fiji participated in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9.
Tonga participated in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9, 2012. Their participation marked their fourth consecutive Summer Paralympics appearance since their début at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. Tonga was represented by the Tonga National Paralympic Committee, and was one of the 45 participating countries that sent only a single athlete. Tonga has always sent only a single athlete from Sydney 2000 to London 2012. Tonga National Paralympic Committee sent a delegation of three people, including one athlete. The sole athlete to represent the nation was ʻAloʻalo Liku, who participated in javelin and discus throw. Liku was the country's flag-bearer during the Games' opening ceremony. Tonga did not win a medal at these Games, however Liku finished with seasonal bests in both the events.
North Korea made its Paralympic Games début at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9.
Iliesa Delana is a Fijian politician and Paralympic high jumper who has been Member of the Parliament of Fiji and Cabinet Minister since 17 September 2014. He was the first Fijian athlete to win a medal, gold in high jump, for Fiji at the Paralympics.
The medal table of the 2012 Summer Paralympics ranks the participating National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) by the number of gold medals won by their athletes during the competition. The 2012 Paralympics was the fourteenth Games to be held, a quadrennial competition open to athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities. The games were held in London, United Kingdom, from 29 August to 9 September 2012.
Fiji competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016.
