Cato Zahl Pedersen is a Norwegian skier and multiple Paralympic gold medal winner. He has won a total of fourteen medals at the Paralympic Games, in both Winter and Summer Paralympics. He has no arms, having lost both in a childhood accident.
Volleyball at the Summer Paralympics was first held in 1976, when the traditional form of standing volleyball for men was contested and sitting volleyball for men was a demonstration sport. From 1980 through 2000, men's standing and sitting events were contested. The women's sitting volleyball event was introduced in 2004.
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.
Franz Nietlispach is a Swiss wheelchair athlete, handcyclist, and a politician.
Jouko Grip is a Paralympic athlete who has won medals in both the Summer and Winter Games. Most of his medals were in Nordic skiing. He is Finnish and has polio in his left hand. In 2006 he was inducted into the Paralympic Hall of Fame. He competed at the Summer Paralympics twice, in 1984 and 1988, and participated in track and field athletics both times, winning two gold medals in the 400 and 1500 metre races in 1984. He competed in seven consecutive Winter Paralympics, from 1980 to 2002, and won a total of ten gold and five silver medals. Two of his winter gold medals were won in the biathlon and the remainder of his winter medals were from cross-country skiing.
Australia has participated officially in every Paralympic Games since its inauguration in 1960 except for the 1976 Winter Paralympics.
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.
Zimbabwe has been competing at the Paralympic Games since the country became independent in 1980; it had previously competed as Rhodesia. Zimbabwe was absent from the Games in 1988 and 1992, returning in 1996 with a two-man delegation, and has competed at every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then. It has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Guatemala have been irregular participants in the Paralympic Games. The country made its début at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, with a delegation of eleven athletes to compete in archery, dartchery, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting. It was then absent in 1980, and returned in 1984, with a delegation of two swimmers and two weightlifters. It sent a single weightlifter to the 1988 Games, then was absent for sixteen years, before returning for the 2004 Paralympics, represented by two runners. Visually impaired 5,000m runner César López was the sole Guatemalan competitor in 2008. Guatemala has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Mexico made its Paralympic Games début at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, with a delegation of seven athletes competing in track and field, swimming, weightlifting and wheelchair fencing. It has competed in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then, and made its Winter Paralympics début in 2006.
Myanmar has been a sporadic participant in the Paralympic Games. It first competed, as Burma, at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, with a delegation in track and field and shooting. These athletes were fairly successful, Tin Ngwe becoming Burma's first Paralympic champion by winning the men's 100m sprint in the C1 category. Aung Than won silver in the same event, while Tin Win took bronze in the men's 100m in category C. Burma was absent from the 1980 Games, returning in 1984 to take part in volleyball and track and field. Tin Ngwe, in category A3, won gold in the men's high jump, and silver in the long jump, while Aung Gyi won silver and bronze, respectively, in those same two events. In both Burma's appearances in the Paralympics, it fielded all-male delegations.
Germany (GER) participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of nine athletes. The country, since 1949 officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), was until 1990 also called West Germany while the separate East German Democratic Republic (GDR) existed, which was recognized by the IOC only after 1964. East German athletes, however, participated in the Paralympics for the first and last time in 1984. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, athletes from all of Germany compete simply as Germany (GER) again.
The Netherlands participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of five athletes. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics. It made its Winter Paralympics début in 1984, and has taken part in every subsequent edition of the Games, except 2006. The Netherlands was the host country of the 1980 Summer Paralympics, in Arnhem.
Norway has participated in every edition of both the Summer and Winter Paralympics, except the second Summer Games in 1964. It was one of the seventeen countries to take part in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of eleven athletes. Norway was the host country of both the 1980 Winter Paralympics, in Geilo, and the 1994 Winter Paralympics, in Lillehammer.
Switzerland made its Paralympic Games début at the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, and has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics. It also took part in the inaugural Winter Paralympics in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik, and has competed in every edition of the Winter Games.
Czechoslovakia made its Paralympic Games début at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, where it was one of just four Eastern Bloc nations competing. Czechoslovakia sent a delegation of nineteen athletes, who all competed in track and field, and won a single bronze medal in the shot put.
Australia has participated in every Summer Paralympic Games since the inception of the Paralympics in the year 1960. The 1976 Paralympic Games in Toronto was Australia's fifth Paralympic Games. Australia competed in 10 out of the 13 sports and were able to win medals in six of these sports. There were 44 athletes representing Australia at the Games with a number of these athletes participating in multiple sports. Of the 44 athletes, 34 were males and 10 were females. As a team, Australia won 41 medals, 16 of which were gold. This placed it just outside the top 10 in 11th position at the end of the Games. The Australian team won more gold medals at the 1976 Paralympic Games than at any of the previous four Paralympic Games. 26 athletes finished on the podium in their respective events. This represents more than half the number of athletes that Australia sent to Toronto. Six world records were broken by Australian athletes on their way to winning their respective events.
Australia competed at the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, Netherlands. It was the 6th Summer Paralympic Games in which Australia had competed. These Games were the biggest Paralympics yet, with 1,973 people participating. Of those participants, 57 were Australian. The team was made up of 45 men and 12 women, and was Australia's largest team to compete at any Paralympic Games so far.
Brian Frederick McNicholl, OAM is a New Zealand-born Australian Paralympic powerlifter, weightlifter, wheelchair basketballer, and athlete, who won five medals at six Paralympic games from 1976 to 1996.
Moshe Barbalat is a retired Israeli paralympic athlete and decorated war hero.
