The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was first time the new Paralympic logo featured in the Summer Paralympics since its rebranding after the 2004 Summer Paralympics.
South Africa sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China and finished 6th on the medal table.
Vietnam competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. It is the 13th summer games in which the nation has competed since its first appearance in 1952. Although it has sent a modest delegation every year it has competed, Vietnam had only earned one Olympic medal before Beijing. The Vietnam Olympic Committee sent thirteen athletes to compete in eight of the 28 Olympic sports. It is the largest ever contingent for the nation, up from 11 in the 2004 games.
Poland competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country's delegation included 91 athletes.
Norway sent a delegation of 24 competitors, to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, from September 6 to September 17, 2008.
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. A total of 213 U.S. competitors took part in 18 sports; the only 2 sports Americans did not compete in were soccer 5-a-side and 7-a-side. The American delegation included 16 former members of the U.S. military, including 3 veterans of the Iraq War. Among them were shot putter Scott Winkler, who was paralyzed in an accident in Iraq, and swimmer Melissa Stockwell, a former United States Army officer who lost her left leg to a roadside bomb in the war.
Australia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country sent 167 athletes in 13 sports and 122 officials. It was the country's largest ever Paralympic delegation to an away Games. The team sent to Beijing was described as the emergence of the new generation of Australian athletes with 56 percent of the team attending their first Paralympic Games. The delegation's chef de mission was Darren Peters.
Botswana was due to a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing.
Zambia competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The country's delegation consisted of a single athlete, middle-distance runner Larson Katongo. The 21-year-old Katongo, who is visually impaired, participated in the 800 metre and 1500 metre events. Although he had competed in international meets before, this was his first Paralympic Games. Katongo's trainer is Paul Mwansa.
Malta competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China from 6 to 17 September 2008. This was the island nation's seventh appearance at a Summer Paralympic Games since their debut in 1960, but their first since the 1984 Summer Paralympics 24 years earlier. Antonio Flores, a runner, was the only athlete to represent Malta at the Games, having qualified via the 2008 British Open Athletics Championships. At the Paralympics, Flores did not qualify for the final of the men's 100 metres T44 event after placing 11th overall in the competition and fifth in his heat during the heat stages; the fastest four participants in his heat advanced to the final.
Tunisia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The country was represented by 35 athletes.
Switzerland sent a delegation of 26 athletes to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing. The stated goal was to win a minimum of 11 medals and finish the games among the top 50 nations. Swiss athletes competed in 6 sports at the Beijing games and performed as follows:
Chinese Taipei competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. The delegation consisted of seventeen competitors in six sports: archery, track and field athletics, powerlifting, shooting, swimming, and table tennis. The athletes were ten men and seven women ranging in age from 27 to 53 years old.
Burundi sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. It was Burundi's first ever participation in the Paralympic Games. According to official records, the following three athletes competed in the games:
Georgia sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The country was represented by a single athlete who competed in powerlifting.
Nepal sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. According to official records, the country's only athlete competed in athletics.
Australia has participated officially in every Paralympic Games since its inauguration in 1960 except for the 1976 Winter Paralympics.
The 2022 Winter Paralympics, commonly known as Beijing 2022, was an international winter multi-sport parasports event held in Beijing, China from 4 to 13 March 2022. This was the 13th Winter Paralympic Games, as administered by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
Papua New Guinea participated in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9, 2012.
