The 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, retroactively designated as the 1960 Summer Paralympics, were the first international Paralympic Games, following on from the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. They were organised under the aegis of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation. The term "Paralympic Games" was approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) first in 1984, while the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was formed in 1989.
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.
Bradley John Ness, OAM is an Australian wheelchair basketballer. He won a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing and silver medals at 2004 Athens and 2012 London Paralympics. He was selected as the Australian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony at the 2016 Rio Paralympics. In December 2023, Ness was appointed the Head Coach of the Rollers - Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team.
Satoshi Saida is a Japanese pioneering wheelchair tennis player and 2004 Summer Paralympics gold medalist.
Table tennis at the 2008 Summer Paralympics was held in the Peking University Gymnasium from September 7 to September 15.
Wheelchair tennis at the 2008 Summer Paralympics was held at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre from 8 September to 15 September.
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.
France sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. France sent 119 athletes, who competed in 13 sports: archery, athletics, cycling, equestrian, wheelchair fencing, powerlifting, judo, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair tennis. There were some competitors that competed in rowing which made its debut in the Games.
Greece competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The national team of Greece was composed of 69 athletes, 53 men and 16 women, who competed in 11 sports, archery, athletics, boccia, cycling, judo, powerlifting, sailing, shooting, swimming, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair tennis. Contrary to the tradition in the Summer Olympic Games, Greece did not enter first during the parade of nations at the opening ceremony but 69th in name order in Chinese, with the swimmer Charalampos Taiganidis being the team's flag bearer.
Iran participated at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country's delegation consists of 72 competitors in nine sports: football 7-a-side, goalball, judo, powerlifting, shooting, table tennis, track and field athletics, volleyball, and wheelchair basketball.
Turkey sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country represented by sixteen athletes, competing in shooting, archery, powerlifting, table tennis, wheelchair tennis, athletics and judo.
Shraga Weinberg is an Israeli wheelchair tennis player.
Peter Robert Norfolk OBE is a British wheelchair tennis player. Following a motorbike accident which left him paraplegic, he uses a wheelchair. He took up tennis and following a further spinal complication in 2000, he began competing in the quad division. He is nicknamed The Quadfather.
The men's singles wheelchair tennis competition at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing was held from 8 September to 15 September at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The DecoTurf surface rendered the event a hardcourt competition.
The women's singles wheelchair tennis competition at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing was held from 8 September to 14 September at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The DecoTurf surface rendered the event a hardcourt competition.
The women's doubles wheelchair tennis competition at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing was held from 10 September to 15 September at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The DecoTurf surface rendered the event a hardcourt competition. This was the only Paralympic tournament in either singles or doubles at which Esther Vergeer lost a match.
Wheelchair tennis events at the 2012 Summer Paralympics were held between 1 and 9 September at Eton Manor, London.
The men's doubles wheelchair tennis competition at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing was held from 10 September to 15 September at the Olympic Green Tennis Centre. The DecoTurf surface rendered the event a hardcourt competition.
Janet McLachlan is a Canadian 4.5 point wheelchair basketball player who won a bronze medal at the 2010 Wheelchair Basketball World Championship in Birmingham, and gold at the 2014 Women's World Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Toronto.
Alena Kánová is a Slovak table tennis player who has played at the Summer Paralympics for her country, winning gold at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, and silver at the 2020 Summer Paralympics. She also competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in wheelchair curling.
