The 2004 Summer Paralympics, the 12th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Athens, Greece from 17 to 28 September 2004. 3,808 athletes from 136 countries participated. During these games 304 World Records were broken with 448 Paralympic Games Records being broken across 19 different sports. 8,863 volunteers worked along the Organizing Committee.
An Olympic medal is awarded to successful competitors at one of the Olympic Games. There are three classes of medal to be won: gold, silver, and bronze, awarded to first, second, and third place, respectively. The granting of awards is laid out in detail in the Olympic protocols.
The 2004 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were a summer multi-sport event held in Athens, the capital city of Greece, from 13 to 29 August 2004. A total of 10,625 athletes from a record 201 countries represented by National Olympic Committees (NOC) participated in these games. The games featured featured 301 events in 28 sports and 39 disciplines, including the Olympic debuts of women's wrestling and women's sabre. Kiribati and Timor Leste competed for the first time in these Olympic Games. It was the second time after 1896 that Athens had hosted the Summer Olympics in the modern era.
The 2004 Summer Paralympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Paralympics, were a international summer multi-parasport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) held in Athens, Greece from 17 to 28 September 2004. Greece hosted a Paralympic Games for the first time, and it was also the 12th Paralympic Games in history. A total of 3,806 athletes representing 136 National Paralympic Committees (NPC) participated, and 17 NPCs made their Paralympic debuts in Athens. The Games featured 519 events in 19 sports across 20 disciplines, including the Paralympic debut of football 5-a-side.
Greece has competed at every Summer Olympic Games, one of five countries to have done so, and most of the Winter Olympic Games. Greece has hosted the modern Olympic Games twice, both in Athens for the Summer Olympic Games, in 1896 and 2004.
Great Britain competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. Great Britain sent a delegation of around 400, of which 212 were athletes, to compete in eighteen sports at the Games. The team was made up of athletes from the whole United Kingdom; athletes from Northern Ireland, who may elect to hold Irish citizenship under the pre-1999 article 2 of the Irish constitution, are able to be selected to represent either Great Britain or Ireland at the Paralympics. Additionally some British overseas territories compete separately from Britain in Paralympic competition.
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. A total of 213 U.S. competitors took part in 18 sports; the only 2 sports Americans did not compete in were soccer 5-a-side and 7-a-side. The American delegation included 16 former members of the U.S. military, including 3 veterans of the Iraq War. Among them were shot putter Scott Winkler, who was paralyzed in an accident in Iraq, and swimmer Melissa Stockwell, a former United States Army officer who lost her left leg to a roadside bomb in the war.
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. A total of 235 U.S. competitors took part in 18 sports; the only sport Americans did not compete in was soccer 5-a-side. The United States finished fourth in the gold and overall medal count, behind China, Great Britain and Canada.
Colombia made its Paralympic Games début at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, with competitors taking part in track and field, table tennis and wheelchair basketball. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympic Games, except 1984, but has never entered the Winter Paralympic Games.
Spain competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 158 athletes—123 men and 35 women. Spanish competitors won 71 medals, 20 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze, to finish 7th in the medal table.
India competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens from 17 to 28 September 2004. The nation made its official debut at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and has appeared in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since 1984. This was India's eighth appearance at the Summer Paralympics.
Nigeria competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 14 athletes, 6 men and 8 women. Competitors from Nigeria won 12 medals, including 5 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze.
Poland competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 104 athletes, 70 men and 34 women. Competitors from Poland won 54 medals, including 10 gold, 25 silver and 19 bronze to finish 18th in the medal table.
Sweden competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 41 athletes, 32 men and 9 women. Competitors from Sweden won 21 medals, including 8 gold, 7 silver and 6 bronze to finish 21st in the medal table.
Switzerland competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 41 athletes, 27 men and 14 women. Competitors from Switzerland won 16 medals, including 2 gold, 6 silver and 8 bronze to finish 40th in the medal table.
Grigorios Polychronidis is a Greek boccia player with a Paralympic boccia classification of BC3. His specific disability is Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Nikolaos Pananos, born on 29 March 1968 in Athens, is a Greek boccia player with a Paralympic boccia classification of BC3. His specific disability is cerebral palsy. He won the gold medal during the 2012 Summer Paralympics in BC3 mixed pairs along with Maria-Eleni Kordali and Grigorios Polychronidis. In the 2016 Summer Paralympics he won the bronze medal at the same event.
Alexandra Stamatopoulou is a Greek Paralympic swimmer. She represented Greece at the Paralympic Games.
Greece competed at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris, France, that took place from 28 August to 8 September. The Greek team won 13 medals all together. Three of them gold medals, 3 silver and 7 bronze medals. Another notable achievments were the back-to-back win by Nasos Gavelas, the first Greek to do it and Grigoris Polychronidis who won his 7th medal in the BC3 category of boccia.
Alison Levine is a Canadian boccia competitor.
