| Lawn bowls at the IV Paralympic Games | |
|---|---|
 Paralympic Lawn bowls | |
Lawn bowls at the 1972 Summer Paralympics consisted of four events.
| Lawn bowls at the IV Paralympic Games | |
|---|---|
| Paralympic Lawn bowls | |
Lawn bowls at the 1972 Summer Paralympics consisted of four events.
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's singles | Eric Magennis  Australia | John Ure  Great Britain | Giuliano Koten  Italy |
| Men's pairs |  Ireland (IRL)Jimmy Gibson Eddie Lucas |  Great Britain (GBR)Tom Guthrie John Ure |  United States (USA)Patton Swing |
 France (FRA)Michel Allorge Roger Schuh | |||
| Women's singles | Margaret Harriman  South Africa | F. Nowak Great Britain | Pamela Barnard Great Britain |
Heller France | |||
| Women's pairs | Great Britain (GBR) Gwen Buck Irene Nowak |  South Africa (RSA)Margaret Harriman Hattingh | France (FRA) Belasset Belaubre |
| United States (USA) Anderson Keyser |
The 1968 Summer Paralympics were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation (ISMGF), they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time. The games were originally planned to be held alongside the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, but in 1966, the Mexican government decided against it due to difficulties. The Israeli government offered to host the games in Tel Aviv, a suggestion that was accepted.
The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from 2 to 11 August 1972. The games ended 15 days before the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, also in West Germany.
Egypt has been participating in the Paralympic Games since 1972, and has participated in every edition of the Summer Games since then.
Lawn bowls at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of eight events.
Lawn bowls at the 1988 Summer Paralympics consisted of six events, five for men and one for women.
Lawn bowls at the 1984 Summer Paralympics consisted of eleven events.
Lawn bowls at the 1980 Summer Paralympics consisted of nineteen events, thirteen for men and six for women.
Lawn bowls at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of sixteen events, twelve for men and four for women.
Lawn bowls at the 1968 Summer Paralympics consisted of four events.
Michael McCreadie is a Paralympian with successes in lawn bowls and wheelchair curling. He made his debut at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg as a swimmer. He won two bronze medals in lawn bowls at the 1976 Summer Paralympics. He also competed in swimming and wheelchair basketball at the same Games and captained the British wheelchair basketball team at the 1980 Summer Paralympics. After that he coached the British wheelchair basketball team at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Paralympics.
Ethiopia's participation in the Paralympic Games has been sporadic. The country made its Paralympic début at the 1968 Summer Games in Tel Aviv, sending two competitors who both competed in both athletics and table tennis. Ethiopia was then absent from the Games for almost a decade, returning in 1976 with a one-man delegation Abraham Habte, who entered athletics, lawn bowls and table tennis. In 1980, Habte was again Ethiopia's only representative, this time competing only in lawn bowls. Ethiopia then entered a prolonged period of absence, before sending a single runner to the 2004 Games. In 2008, the country entered a two-man delegation in athletics. In 2012, Wondiye Fikre Indelbu became the first Ethiopian to win a medal in the Paralympic Games, winning a silver in the men's 1500 meters - T46 event in athletics.
Malta participated in the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, thus returning to the Games after being absent in 1976. The country sent seven representatives to compete in athletics and lawn bowls.
Indonesia made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, with competitors in athletics, lawn bowls, swimming and table tennis. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, except 1992, but has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Thailand made its Paralympic Games début at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York City, with competitors in athletics, lawn bowls and swimming. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never taken part in the Winter Games.
The 21st International Stoke Mandeville Games, later known as the 1972 Summer Paralympics was an international multi-sport event held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972, in which athletes with physical disabilities competed against one another. The German Disabled Sports Association planned to stage the Games in Munich following the 1972 Olympic Games, however the Olympic village in Munich was designated to be closed and converted into private apartments. The organisers tried to arrange for alternative accommodation for the athletes but when this was not possible the city of Heidelberg stepped in with an invite to stage the Games at the University of Heidelberg's Institute for Physical Training.
Michael Shelton is a British sportsman who competed at the Summer Paralympic Games five times between 1960 and 1976 in snooker and other sports. He won six Paralympic medals, four gold, a silver and a bronze. He also won gold at the 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games.
Eric Magennis is an Australian Paralympic lawn bowls player and archer. He first represented Australia in lawn bowls at the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Edinburgh, where he won a pairs gold medal. At the 1972 Heidelberg Paralympics, he participated in archery and became the first Australian to win a gold medal in the lawn bowls Men's Singles event. He won two further Paralympic gold medals, one with Bruce Thwaite at the 1976 Toronto Games in the Men's Pairs wh event and the other with Roy Fowler at the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Games in the Men's Pairs paraplegic event. He retired from international competition in 1986, having won 78 out of the 85 games which he played over his 16-year career.
Lawn bowls has been contested at Summer Paralympics on six occasions, first appearing on the schedule in 1968 and having its most recent outing at the 1996 games. The competitions were initially divided by sex, with singles and doubles events for men and women. In 1976, divisions by disability category were introduced, greatly expanding the number of events and medals. Participation peaked at the 1976 edition, with 80 entrants from 13 countries competing in 16 events. Great Britain was the most successful nation in this sport at each of the games it was held.
Kenya competed at the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, Netherlands. The seventeen member team competed in athletics, weightlifting, lawn bowls and table tennis, claiming a gold medal and two silver medals. Lucy Wanjiru 's gold in the Women's Javelin 3 event was the first gold earned by a Kenyan woman at the Paralympic Games.
Tommy Taylor was a British Paralympic athlete who won sixteen medals across five sports, including ten gold medals. Taylor was treated by Ludwig Guttmann after an accident in 1956 caused severe paralysis. He went on to compete at numerous Paralympic Games, finding particular success in para table tennis from Rome 1960 to Arnhem 1980. Eight of Taylor's gold medals came in table tennis, along with one in snooker and one in lawn bowls.