The 2017 Summer Deaflympics, officially known as the 23rd Summer Deaflympics, is an international multi-sport event that took place in Samsun, Turkey from July 18 to July 30, 2017. 3,148 athletes from 97 countries competed in 18 sports with 21 disciplines. 86 records were broken with 54 being world records and 32 being Deaflympics records.
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.
Basketball was contested for both men and women in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics from July 19-July 29. Yaşar Doğu Sport Hall and Bahattin Ekinci Sports Hall which are located at Samsun, Turkey were the venues selected to host the basketball matches.
Football for both men and women was contested in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics from July 18 to July 30.
Turkey as the host nation of the 2017 Summer Deaflympics competed in the event fielding 287 athletes. Turkey finished on 4th in the Medal list after winning 46 medals including 17 gold medals; this was also the occasion where Turkey won the highest number of medals in a single Deaflympics event.
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.
Shi Ce is a Chinese deaf female table tennis player. She has represented China at the Deaflympics four times from 2005 to 2017. Shi Ce has been regarded as one of the finest athletes to have represented China at the Deaflympics, having won 14 medals at the event since making her debut in the 2005 Summer Deaflympics.
Brazil competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Brazil sent a delegation consisting of 101 participants for the event. This was the 9th consecutive time that Brazil was eligible to participate at the Summer Deaflympics since making its debut in 1985.
Trude Raad is a deaf Norwegian track and field athlete. She generally competes in the discus throw and hammer throw events at the International competitions. Trude has represented Norway at the Deaflympics in 2009, 2013 and 2017 and has won 4 gold medals in her Deaflympic career. She was also a champion in the women's hammer throw event at the Deaflympics on 3 consecutive occasions. She broke her own deaf world record in the women's hammer throw at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics with a distance of 66.35m, the previous best was 65.03m
Melanie Stabel is a German deaf sport shooter. She represented Germany at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics and claimed 3 medals including a gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle with a record score of 412.6 in the finals.
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.
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.
Malaysia competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey after narrowly missing the opportunity to compete at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics due to the Malaysian players' allegation for not having enough practices to compete at the event. Malaysia sent a delegation consisting of 16 participants for the event though it was earlier announced that only 10 competitors would take part in the multi-sport event. This was only the fifth time that Malaysia was eligible participate at the Summer Deaflympics after making its Deaflympic debut in 1993.
Mexico competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. Mexico sent a delegation consisting of 8 participants for the event. This was only the 4th occasion where Mexico participated at the Summer Deaflympics after making its Deaflympic debut in 2001.
Water polo is a water sport which has been contested at the Summer Deaflympics on 11 occasions. Water polo was recognised as a sporting event at the Deaflympics for the first time in 1949 with only two nations competing in the event. Water polo was contested only for men in the Deaflympic history and raised question marks regarding the availability of the sport at the Deaflympics.
India competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey. India sent a delegation consisting of 46 participants for the event.
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.
Petra Kurková is a former Czech female deaf alpine skier. She represented Czech Republic at the Deaflympics in 1999, 2003 and 2007 claiming 12 medals in her Deaflympic career including 8 gold medals. Petra Kurkova also received a scholarship of Fulbright-Masaryk Fellowship to study at the Valdosta State University after claiming four gold medals at the 1999 Winter Deaflympics. She was once considered as one of the leading deaf female skiers in the world after recording a medal tally of 12 during her Deaflympic career which spanned from 1999 to 2007.
Allen John is a German professional golfer. He is profoundly deaf. He became a professional golfer in 2011 and played on the Challenge Tour in 2012. He was re-instated as an amateur in 2016. He represented Germany at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics when golf was included in the Summer Deaflympics for the first time and competed in the men's individual golf event securing a gold medal. Since 2018, John has returned to the professional ranks.
Singapore competed in the 2017 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Samsun, Turkey after narrowly missing the opportunity to compete at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics. Singapore sent a delegation consisting of 5 participants for the event. This was only the fourth time that Singapore was eligible participate at the Summer Deaflympics after making its Deaflympic debut in 2001.
