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 disabilities. 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 Summer Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, organized by the International Paralympic Committee. Medals are awarded in every event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that the Olympic Games started in 1904.
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports. The event includes athletes with mobility impairments, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter Olympic Games and hosted in the same city. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) oversees the Games. Medals are awarded in each event: with gold for first place, silver for second, and bronze for third, following the tradition that the Olympic Games began in 1904.
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.
Naomi Alejandra Soazo Boccardo is a visually impaired Venezuelan judoka. She competed in a number of international events, such as the International Blind Sports Federation World Championships, but is best known for being the only Venezuelan, in any sport, to have won a gold medal at the Paralympic Games.
Mozambique made its Paralympic Games début at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, sending two visually impaired athletes to compete in track events.
The United States competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 September to 18 September 2016. The first places the team qualified were for three athletes in sailing events. They also qualified athletes in archery, goalball, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair basketball.
The Judo competition of the 2016 Summer Paralympics was held in Hall 3 at the Carioca Arena inside the Olympic Training Center in Barra cluster between 8 and 10 September. There were 13 events, corresponding to seven weight classes for men and six for women, and a total of 132 athletes will compete. At the Paralympics, judo is contested by visually impaired athletes.
Algeria competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
Mexico participated at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. The country sent a 71-member delegation to the Games.
Uzbekistan competed at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016.
Lenia Fabiola Ruvalcaba Álvarez is a Mexican visually-impaired judoka. Competing in the 70 kg division she won a silver medal at the 2008 Paralympics and a gold at the 2016 Rio Games. Ruvalcaba also took part in regular judo competitions and won a team bronze medal at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. In 2011, she participated both at the Pan American and Parapan American Games.
Alexandru Florin "Alex" Bologa is a Romanian visually impaired Paralympic judoka. Competing in the 60-kg weight division he won bronze medals at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics.
Utkirjon Nigmatov is an Uzbek judoka and Paralympian competing in the weight category up to 66 kg. He is the champion of the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games, a medalist in World Championships, winner of the Summer Para Asian Games, and a medalist in World Cup and Grand Prix events in Para Judo.
Ramona Brussig is a German judoka and two-time gold medal winner in Paralympic competition.
Edneusa de Jesus Santos Dorta is a visually impaired Brazilian Paralympic athlete. She represented Brazil at the 2016 Summer Paralympics held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and she won the bronze medal in the women's marathon T12 event. She qualified for the 2020 Summer Paralympics, in women's marathon T12 and she was one of the ten competitors.
Alana Martins Maldonado is a visually impaired Brazilian Paralympic judoka. She won the gold medal in the women's 70 kg event at the 2020 Summer Paralympics held in Tokyo, Japan. She also represented Brazil at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and she won the silver medal in the women's 70 kg event.
Dmytro Solovey is a visually impaired Ukrainian Paralympic judoka. He represented Ukraine at the Summer Paralympics in 2012, 2016 and 2021. He won two medals: the gold medal in the men's 73 kg event in 2012 and the silver medal in the men's 73 kg event in 2016.
Aramitsu Kitazono is a Japanese visually impaired Paralympic judoka. He made his maiden Paralympic appearance during the 2012 Summer Paralympics. He was set to represent Japan at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the judoka competition but had to withdraw from the event after being hit by a self driving bus.
Elliot Stewart is a British Paralympic judoka. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, he won a silver medal in the men's 90 kg event.
