The 2017 Summer Deaflympics, officially known as the 23rd Summer Deaflympics, is an international multi-sport event that took place in Samsun, Turkey from July 18 to July 30, 2017. 3,148 athletes from 97 countries competed in 18 sports with 21 disciplines. 86 records were broken with 54 being world records and 32 being Deaflympics records.
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.
Russia participated at the Deaflympics after making its debut in 1993, until it was banned in 2022. Russia is just behind United States for winning the most medals in Deaflympics history. In the 2017 Summer Deaflympics held in Turkey, Russia was the medal topper with a record haul of 199 medals. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) banned athletes from Russia from that year's Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
Turkey as the host nation of the 2017 Summer Deaflympics competed in the event fielding 287 athletes. Turkey finished on 4th in the Medal list after winning 46 medals including 17 gold medals; this was also the occasion where Turkey won the highest number of medals in a single Deaflympics event.
South Africa competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics for the 7th consecutive time in the Summer Deaflympics since making its debut in 1993.
Hungary competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics for 20th time in the Summer Deaflympics since making its debut in the inaugural edition of the Deaflympics in 1924.
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.
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.
Brazil competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Brazil sent a delegation consisting of 101 participants for the event. This was the 9th consecutive time that Brazil was eligible to participate at the Summer Deaflympics since making its debut in 1985.
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.
Norway competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Norway sent a delegation consisting of 7 participants for the event. This was the 20th consecutive time that Norway participated at the Summer Deaflympics since making its Deaflympic debut in 1931.
Cuba competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Cuba sent a delegation consisting of only 5 participants for the event. This was the 6th successive time that Cuba participated in the Summer Deaflympics since making its Deaflympic debut in 1993.
Malaysia competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey after narrowly missing the opportunity to compete at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics due to the Malaysian players' allegation for not having enough practices to compete at the event. Malaysia sent a delegation consisting of 16 participants for the event though it was earlier announced that only 10 competitors would take part in the multi-sport event. This was only the fifth time that Malaysia was eligible participate at the Summer Deaflympics after making its Deaflympic debut in 1993.
Mexico competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Mexico sent a delegation consisting of 8 participants for the event. This was only the 4th occasion where Mexico participated at the Summer Deaflympics after making its Deaflympic debut in 2001.
India competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. India sent a delegation consisting of 46 participants for the event.
Natalia Deeva is a Belarusian deaf female swimmer. She has competed at the Deaflympics on six occasions, the most appearances by a Deaflympic competitor representing Belarus at the Deaflympics. She is notable for breaking three deaf swimming world records in a single day at the 2007 World Deaf Swimming Championships.
Petra Kurková is a former Czech female deaf alpine skier. She represented Czech Republic at the Deaflympics in 1999, 2003 and 2007 claiming 12 medals in her Deaflympic career including 8 gold medals. Petra Kurkova also received a scholarship of Fulbright-Masaryk Fellowship to study at the Valdosta State University after claiming four gold medals at the 1999 Winter Deaflympics. She was once considered as one of the leading deaf female skiers in the world after recording a medal tally of 12 during her Deaflympic career which spanned from 1999 to 2007.
Prithvi Sekhar is an Indian male deaf tennis player. He represented India at the Deaflympics in 2013 and 2017. He won a bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics partnering with Jafreen Shaik. He is also currently employed in the Integrated Coach Factory in Chennai.
Jafreen Shaik Jafreen is a deaf Indian tennis player. She represented India at the Deaflympics in 2013 and 2017. She claimed a bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics partnering with Prithvi Sekhar.
