Australia first competed in the Winter Olympic Games in 1936 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and has participated in every games since, with the exception of the 1948 Games in St. Moritz.
Australia has competed in every Winter Paralympics. In 1976, the first Games, Australia's sole competitor was Ron Finneran, but he was not an official entrant. In 1980, Kyrra Grunnsund and Peter Rickards became the first official competitors, in alpine and cross-country skiing. The number of Australian athletes increased to three, five, five and six at the next four games, respectively, and all of the athletes were alpine skiers. The participation decreased to four in 1998 and climbed back up to six in 2002. Australia won its first Winter Paralympic medals in 1992, and has medalled at every games since then. All of the medals have been won in alpine skiing.
Italy has sent athletes to most of the modern Olympic Games held since 1896, outside of not having officially participated in the 1904 Summer Olympics.
Norway first participated at the Summer Olympics in 1900, and has sent athletes to compete in every Games since then, except for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow when they participated in the American-led boycott and, as previously thought, the 1904 Games in St. Louis, United States. However, at the beginning of the 21st century, it was discovered that wrestlers Charles Ericksen and Bernhoff Hansen, who were Norwegian expatriates in America whose medals at the 1904 Summer Olympics were previously attributed to United States, still held Norwegian citizenship at the time of the games. They won the gold medals in the wrestling welterweight and heavyweight events respectively.
Poland first participated at the Olympic Games in 1924, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the 1984 Games, when they were forced to be part of the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Poland has also participated in every Winter Olympic Games.
Hans Anton Aalien is a blind skier from Eggedal. He won a gold medal in the disabled skiing at the 1988 Winter Olympics event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with a time of 18 minutes, 52.2 seconds.
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.
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.
Australia has participated officially in every Paralympic Games since its inauguration in 1960 with the exception of the 1976 Winter Paralympics.
Iceland made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem, where it fielded thirteen athletes, who won two medals. Since then, the country has competed in every edition of the Summer Paralympics.
Denmark made its Paralympic Games début at the 1968 Summer Paralympics in Tel Aviv with a delegation of eight competitors, in swimming and table tennis. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, and in every edition of the Winter Games since 1980.
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.
Latvia, following its independence from the Soviet Union, made its Paralympic Games début at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, with a delegation of two athletes in track and field. It then sent Supulnieks as its sole representative to the 1994 Winter Paralympics, for its Winter Games début. Latvia has taken part in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but missed the 1998 and 2002 Winter Games, appearing with a one-man delegation in 2006, before being absent again in 2010.
Lithuania, following its independence from the Soviet Union, made its Winter Paralympics début at the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, Norway. The country sent just two athletes, both in cross-country skiing: Sigita Kriaučiūnienė and Saulius Leonavičius. Lithuania's participation in the 1994 Paralympics was not only its first at the Winter Games, but also its last to date, although the country has continued to take part in every edition of the Summer Paralympics.
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.
Slovakia as such made its Paralympic Games début at the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, following the break-up of Czechoslovakia, which had taken part in the Paralympics from 1972 to 1992. Slovakia has taken part in every edition of both the Summer and Winter Paralympics since then.
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.
Following the success of the first ever 1976 Winter Paralympics in Örnsköldsvik four years earlier, Norway was selected to host the Paralympic Games in 1980.
Mongolia sent a delegation to compete at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, from 7–16 March 2014. This was Mongolia's third time participating in a Winter Paralympic Games. The delegation consisted of a single cross-country skier, Batmönkhiin Ganbold. His best performance in any event was 14th in the men's standing 20 kilometer freestyle, he finished 31st in the 10 km event, and did not advance from the qualification round of the 1 km sprint.
