Jeffrey James Float is a former American competitive swimmer, world record holder, world champion and Olympic gold medalist. He qualified for the 1980 USA Olympic Swimming Team in three individual events, but could not participate when the United States boycotted the Moscow 1980 Summer Olympic Games. Four years later, he competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. As the peer-elected team captain, Jeff earned a gold medal in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay, and finished fourth in the individual 200-meter freestyle event. In 2016 this 4x200-meter freestyle relay was designated the third greatest of all time.
A number of deaf people have competed in the modern Olympic Games, with the earliest known being Oskar Wetzell, a Finnish diver who competed in the 1908 Olympics in London.
Marcus James Titus is a deaf American swimmer who has made it as far as eighth place in the 2012 Olympic Trials. Titus won a state championship at Flowing Wells High School and is a 12-time-All-American at Arizona, he was a major figure in the US’s 2008 NCAA championship team, and he was previously a coach for the 2013 Deaflympic team. He is also known for being a spokesperson for deaf and hard-hearing athletes in the swimming world.
Ruth Mae Taubert Seeger was an American athlete and coach. She was the first woman to be chosen for the United States track and field team for the 1957 World Games for the Deaf.
The 1977 Summer Deaflympics, officially known as the 13th Summer Deaflympics, is an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from July 17 to July 27, 1977, in Bucharest, Romania.
Rebecca Meyers is an American Paralympic swimmer. She won three gold and one silver medals in Rio 2016. She was also a member of the 2012 Paralympic Team, and won a silver and bronze in London. Rebecca Meyers has also competed at the 2009 Summer Deaflympics which was held in Taiwan, which is also her only appearance at the Deaflympics. She also clinched a bronze medal in the 4 × 200 m freestyle relay event in the 2009 Summer Deaflympics.
Spain competed at the inaugural edition of the Deaflympics in 1957. But they did not participate in a Deaflympics competition until 1973. Since then Spain has been regularly participating at the Deaflympics. Spain won its first Deaflympics medal way back in 1981.
Argentina first completed and won its first medal at the Deaflympics in 1965. Since then, Argentina has been regularly participating at the Deaflympics. Argentina has never competed at the Winter Deaflympics.
Portugal competed at the Deaflympics for the first in 1993. Since then Portugal has been regularly participating at the Deaflympics. Portugal won its first Deaflympics medal also in 1993. Portugal has never participated in the Winter Deaflympics.
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.
Reed Gershwind (born May 17, 1964) is an American deaf former swimmer who represented the United States at the Deaflympics and in other deaf championships.
Mexico has been participating at the Deaflympics since making its debut way back in 1965. Mexico won its first Deaflympic medal in the 2001 Summer Deaflympics for Athletics. In the 2017 Summer Deaflympics, Mexico won its first ever gold medal in Deaflympics history for Judo.
Russia participated at the Deaflympics after making its debut in 1993, until it was banned in 2022. Russia is just behind United States for winning the most medals in Deaflympics history. In the 2017 Summer Deaflympics held in Turkey, Russia was the medal topper with a record haul of 199 medals. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) banned athletes from Russia from that year's Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil.
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.
Czechoslovakia first competed at the Deaflympics for the first time in 1928, which was also the 2nd World Games for the Deaf.
Ice hockey has been contested as a sport in the Winter Deaflympics since 1975. In the Winter Deaflympic history, ice hockey has been contested only for men on 7 occasions.
Tamara Johanna Foronda, often known as Tamara J. Foronda, is an American volleyball player who has also played beach volleyball and handball in addition to her sports career. She has represented United States at the Deaflympics on three occasions in three different sporting events. She graduated from the Gallaudet University.
The Soviet Union competed at the Deaflympics for the first time in 1957. Soviet Union competed at each editions of the Summer Deaflympics from 1957 to 1989 except for the 1985 Summer Deaflympics until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Soviet Union has won medals in every editions of the Summer Deaflympics it has competed and it is considered one of the greatest nations to have participated at the Deaflympics after earning a medal haul of 524 at the Summer Deaflympics.
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.
