Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games are a periodic series of international multi-sport competitions featuring athletes with a wide range of disabilities. They exist in two forms, the Summer Paralympics and the Winter Paralympics, both of which have been held shortly after their Olympic counterparts since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Governed by the International Paralympic Committee, the Games have grown from a small post-war rehabilitation initiative into one of the world’s largest sporting events.

Origins and Early Development

The origins of the Paralympics lie in the rehabilitation of British World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. In 1948, the neurologist Ludwig Guttmann organised a sports competition at Stoke Mandeville Hospital to coincide with the opening of the London Olympics. Initially called the World Wheelchair and Amputee Games, the event aimed to provide injured veterans with a platform for competitive sport and social rehabilitation.
The Games remained in the same location until 1952, when Dutch and Israeli veterans joined the competition, marking the beginning of international participation. This annual event continued to grow and travelled beyond the United Kingdom for the first time in 1960, when the ninth edition was held in Rome in parallel with the Summer Olympics. This event is now recognised as the first official Summer Paralympics, featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries.

Expansion and Milestones

Over the decades, the Paralympic movement expanded to include athletes with a broader range of disabilities. The 1976 Summer Paralympics were the first to feature multiple disability classifications, resulting in 1,600 athletes from 40 nations.
A major milestone came in 1988 when the Seoul Summer Paralympics were held immediately after the Olympics in the same host city and using most of the same venues. This set a precedent followed by subsequent Games. In 2001, a formal agreement between the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee ensured that both events would continue to be staged in the same city. This agreement was later extended to 2032.
The Winter Paralympics began in 1976 in Sweden and followed the same four-year cycle as the Summer Paralympics until 1992. From 1994 onwards, the Winter Games have been held two years apart from their summer counterpart, mirroring the arrangement adopted by the Olympic movement.

Athletes with Disabilities Before the Paralympics

Before the formal inception of the Paralympics, several athletes with disabilities competed in the Olympic Games. These early examples include George Eyser, a gymnast with an artificial leg who competed in 1904, and Olivér Halassy, a Hungarian water polo player and amputee who took part in three Olympic Games beginning in 1928.Another notable figure was Lis Hartel of Denmark, an equestrian athlete paralysed by polio who won a silver medal in the 1952 Games. These athletes demonstrated early on that individuals with disabilities could achieve excellence in mainstream competitive sport.

Structure, Classification and Eligible Impairments

Due to the wide range of disabilities represented, the Paralympic Games use a detailed classification system to ensure fair competition. The system identifies ten primary types of impairments eligible for participation:

• Impaired muscle power
• Impaired passive range of movement
• Limb deficiency
• Leg length difference
• Short stature
• Hypertonia
• Ataxia
• Athetosis
• Vision impairment
• Intellectual impairment

These broad categories are further subdivided into sport-specific classifications that take into account functional ability rather than medical diagnoses, allowing athletes from different backgrounds to compete on an equitable basis.

Relationship with Other Disability Sports

The Paralympics exist alongside other international sporting movements. The Special Olympics World Games involve athletes with intellectual disabilities and focus on inclusivity and participation. The Deaflympics, held since 1924, serve athletes with hearing impairments and maintain a separate organisational structure. Although athletes with intellectual disabilities have been included in the Paralympics since 1992, the three movements remain distinct in governance and purpose.

Organisational Structure and Governance

The International Paralympic Committee serves as the global governing body of the Paralympic movement. Based in Bonn, it oversees 178 National Paralympic Committees and several disability-specific sports federations. Beyond organising the Paralympic Games, the Committee functions as the international federation for nine sports, supervising world championships and ensuring technical standards are maintained.
The Committee’s responsibilities include athlete classification, rule enforcement, international development and the promotion of the Paralympic Charter. Although closely aligned with the International Olympic Committee, the two bodies remain institutionally independent, each managing its own Games and organisational governance.

Growth into a Global Sporting Event

From its modest origins, the Paralympic Games have grown into one of the largest international sporting events. The 2020 Summer Paralympics involved 4,520 athletes from 163 National Paralympic Committees, reflecting the Games’ global expansion. The modern Paralympics emphasise athletic excellence and inclusivity, challenging public perceptions of disability and celebrating human capability.
Media coverage and public interest have grown considerably, though disparities in funding and sponsorship between Olympic and Paralympic athletes remain a subject of concern. Paralympians continue to advocate for equal treatment, resources and recognition in the international sports arena.