Jessica Zelinka is a Canadian pentathlete, heptathlete, and 100 m hurdler. Her personal best score is 6599 points for the heptathlon. She was the gold medalist at the 2007 Pan American Games. Zelinka won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and repeated her silver medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. At the 2012 Summer Olympics Zelinka finished in 6th overall in the heptathlon and 7th in the 100 m hurdles.
The First International Silent Games, or First International Games for the Deaf, now referred to retroactively as the 1924 Summer Deaflympics, were the inaugural edition of the Deaflympics. The Games were held in Paris, France, from 10 to 17 August 1924, as an equivalent to the Olympic Games for deaf athletes. They were organised on the initiative of deaf Frenchman Eugène Rubens-Alcais, who, just after the Games, co-founded the Comité International des Sports des Sourds with other "deaf sporting leaders". The 1924 Games were "the first games ever" for athletes with a disability, preceding the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games in 1948, which became the Paralympic Games in 1960 but which did not include events for deaf athletes.
Katarina Mary Johnson-Thompson is an English athlete. A multi-eventer, she is primarily known as both a heptathlete and an indoor pentathlete. In heptathlon she is a double world champion and double Commonwealth Games champion. In indoor pentathlon, she is a world and double European champion.
Nafissatou "Nafi" Thiam is a Belgian athlete specialising in multi-event competition. She is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the heptathlon event at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Thiam is the only Belgian athlete, male or female, to successfully defend an Olympic title and only the second woman after Jackie Joyner-Kersee to win back-to-back Olympic titles in the event.
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.
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.
Tereza Kmochová is a Czech deaf female alpine skier. She has represented Czech Republic in Winter Deaflympics, Winter Universiade and in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. She generally competes in the women's combined, slalom, giant slalom, Super-G events at international alpine skiing competitions. She is considered one of the finest deaflympic alpine skiers to have competed at the Deaflympics and also regarded as a finest athlete to have represented Czech Republic at the Deaflympics with a record haul of 10 medals including 7 gold medals. In the 2015 Winter Deaflympics she created history after winning gold medals in all five events such as giant slalom, super combined, slalom, downhill and Super-G.
Peggy de Villiers is a South African deaf swimmer. She represented South Africa at the Deaflympics in 2009 and 2013. She made her Deaflympic debut at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics and claimed 4 medals including a gold medal in the 50m backstroke event with a world record breaking timing of 31.11 for deaf swimming at that time. She currently holds the deaf world swimming records in the women's 50m butterfly and women's 100m butterfly categories. She completed her undergraduated swimming career with the University of West Florida as a member of the college team.
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.
Lana Skeledžija is a Croatian female sport shooter. She competed at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics and in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics representing Croatia.
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.
India competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. India sent a delegation consisting of 46 participants for the event.
Alexandra Polivanchuk is a Swedish female deaf swimmer who is also the twin sister of Anna Polivanchuk. She has represented Sweden at the Deaflympics in 2005, 2009 and 2013. She currently holds the deaf world swimming records in 50m and 100m butterfly events. She graduated and has been training the sport of swimming at the Gallaudet University.
Ronda Jo Miller is a retired American professional deaf female basketball and volleyball player. She is one of the few deaf women basketball players to have tried out for WNBA. However, she did not make the team.
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.
Veronika Grygarová is a Czech deaf female alpine skier. She represented Czech Republic at the Deaflympics in 2007 and 2015.
Diksha Dagar is an Indian professional golfer who is also hearing-impaired. She became the leading amateur ladies golfer in India from November 2015. Diksha Dagar represented India at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics where golf was included in the Summer Deaflympics for the very first time and competed in the women's individual golf event securing a silver medal. Diksha also qualified to represent India at the 2018 Asian Games. She is also considered one of the emerging amateur golfers in India. In 2019, she became only the second Indian female golfer after Aditi Ashok to win on the Ladies European Tour and became the youngest Indian woman to do so at the age of 18.
Tone Tangen Myrvoll is a former Norwegian deaf cross-country skier, orienteer and runner. She has represented Norway in both Summer and Winter Deaflympics from 1985 to 2003 on seven occasions. She has competed at the Summer Deaflympics in 1985 and in 1989 and competed at the Winter Deaflympics in 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999 and in 2003. Tone Tangen Myrvoll initially started her career as orienteer before pursuing her career in cross country skiing. She is regarded as the most successful cross country skier in Deaflympic history with a medal tally of 15 including 11 gold medals. She is also the most successful athlete from Norway to compete at the Deaflympics.
Serah Kimani Wangari, known as Serah Wangari or Serah Kimani, is a Kenyan track and field athlete who has specialized in long-distance running.
Anna Hall is an American athlete specializing in the combined events. She won the silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2023 World Championships and the bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships. Hall is the North American indoor record holder for the pentathlon.
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