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 disabilities. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, have been held shortly after the corresponding Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The 1984 International Games for the Disabled, commonly known as the 1984 Summer Paralympics, were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. There were two separate competitions: one in Stoke Mandeville, England, United Kingdom for wheelchair athletes with spinal cord injuries and the other at the Mitchel Athletic Complex and Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, United States for wheelchair and ambulatory athletes with cerebral palsy, amputees, and les autres [the others]. Stoke Mandeville had been the location of the Stoke Mandeville Games from 1948 onwards, seen as the precursors to the Paralympic Games, as the 9th International Stoke Mandeville Games in Rome in 1960 are now recognised as the first Summer Paralympics.
World Archery is the governing body of the sport of archery. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is composed of 156 national federations and other archery associations, and is recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
A National Olympic Committee (NOC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Olympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Olympic Committee, NOCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Olympic Games. They may nominate cities within their respective areas as candidates for future Olympic Games. NOCs also promote the development of athletes and the training of coaches and officials at a national level within their geographies.
Indonesia first participated in the Olympic Games in 1952 and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for two; in 1964 due to controversy around the 1962 Asian Games when they banned Israel and the then-internationally recognized Republic of China which resulted in a ban for their track and field team, and in 1980, when they participated in the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. The National Olympic Committee for Indonesia was created in 1946 and recognized in 1952. The country has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games, which can be explained by the lack of sporting facilities for winter sports on its territory.
The United States Virgin Islands first competed at the Olympic Games in 1968, and have since sent athletes to compete at every Summer Olympic Games except in 1980, when they took part in the boycott of the Moscow Games. They have also participated in seven Olympic Winter Games since 1988, having only missed the 2010 Winter Olympics. The only Olympic medal won by a Virgin Islander was a silver by Peter Holmberg in sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
The Summer Paralympics, also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, organized by the International Paralympic Committee. Medals are awarded in every event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that the Olympic Games started in 1904.
Fiji first competed at the Summer Paralympic Games in 1964, sending a single athlete to compete in weightlifting, then missed out on two consecutive Games before returning in 1976, with a larger delegation of eight competitors in swimming and athletics. The country was then absent for four more consecutive Games, returning to the Paralympics in 1996 with two competitors in athletics. Fiji has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Games.
Australia has participated officially in every Paralympic Games since its inauguration in 1960 with the exception of the 1976 Winter Paralympics.
The United States competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9, 2012.
The United States Virgin Islands competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. This was the nation's eleventh appearance at the Olympics, except the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, because of the United States boycott.
India competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included twelve athletes - eleven men and one woman. Indian competitors won two medals at the Games, one gold and one bronze, to finish joint 53rd in the medal table.
The Solomon Islands made their Paralympic Games début at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from August 29 to September 9, 2012. The country sent one athlete, shot putter Hellen Saohaga. She finished 15th out of 19 competitors, and did not medal at these Games.
Para-swimming classification is a function-based classification system designed to allow for fair competition in disability swimming. The classes are prefixed with "S" for freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events, "SB" for breaststroke and "SM" for individual medley events. Swimmers with physical disabilities are divided into ten classes based on their degree of functional disability: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8, S9 and S10. The lower number indicates a greater degree of impairment. Those with visual impairments are placed in classes S11, S12 and S13. Class S15 is for athletes with hearing loss. Additional classes may be reserved for swimmers with intellectual impairment: S14, S18 for swimmers with Down Syndrome or class-S14 intellectual impairment combined with a physical impairment, and S19 for swimmers with autism.
The Faroe Islands sent a delegation to compete in the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom, from 29 August to 9 September 2012. This was the nation's eighth time competing in a Summer Paralympic Games. The Faroese delegation consisted of one swimmer, Ragnvaldur Jensen. In his only event, the men's 100 meter breaststroke SB14 he finished seventh in his heat and failed to qualify for the finals.
The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. This was the Virgin Islands' second time competing at a Summer Paralympic Games. They were represented by one athlete, Ivan Espinosa, who contested one event, the men's 1500 meters T37. In that event, he came in 8th place.
The Faroe Islands sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7–18 September 2016. They sent one participant, Krista Mørkøre, who participated in three events in swimming. Her top finish was 10th in women's 400 m freestyle S10, and she did not qualify for the finals of any of her three events.
The United States Virgin Islands, also known as the Virgin Islands and officially as the Virgin Islands of the United States, competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the Games were postponed to 23 July to 8 August 2021, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the territory's thirteenth appearance at the Summer Olympics.
Cambodia competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo, Japan, from 24 August to 5 September 2021. This was the nation's sixth time competing at the Summer Paralympic Games after it made its debut at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. The delegation consisted of Vun Van competing in the Men's 100 metres T54.
Athletics at the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be held at Stade de France in Paris. There will be 164 events: 90 for men, 73 for women and one mixed event, three fewer men's events than the previous Games while the women's and mixed events remain the same. It will be the largest contest of the Games programme regarding athlete numbers and medal events to be scheduled.
