Two weeks after the Olympics, Paris continues to buzz with the festive atmosphere of sports as it prepares for the Paralympics, the largest sporting event for people with disabilities in the world, now a tradition held right after and at the same venue as each Olympic Games. Let’s revisit the historical milestones of the Paralympic movement.
The history of the Paralympic Games began in 1948 at a military hospital in the small town of Stoke Mandeville, located 60 kilometers north of London, England. Sir Ludwig Guttmann, a German neurologist, was then researching ways to accelerate recovery for patients paralyzed in both legs, many of whom were World War II veterans. His specialized treatment facility brought together patients, mostly Royal Air Force pilots with spinal injuries, all confined to wheelchairs. At a time when the Summer Olympics were taking place in London, he thought about sports.
Champ-de-Mars at the foot of the Eiffel Tower is ready for the football matches of visually impaired athletes at the Paris Paralympics on August 18, 2024 (AP – Michel Euler).
He organized a competition for 16 wheelchair-bound veterans in archery and netball (a variant of basketball). Dr. Guttmann was unaware that he had just birthed a new sports movement. In a book published in 1956 about the significance of sports in rehabilitation for disabled individuals, Sir Ludwig Guttmann wrote: “Until that time, the situation remained hopeless, for not only was it necessary to save the lives of men, women, and children who were paralyzed, but it was also imperative to restore their dignity so that they could become happy and respected citizens.”
In 1952, the first Stoke Mandeville International Games was initiated. A team of Dutch veterans was invited to compete with British athletes. This event subsequently became an annual occurrence. Two years later, the competitions expanded to include 14 countries. All athletes were wheelchair users, most of whom came from hospitals or rehabilitation centers that had followed the example of Stoke Mandeville by incorporating sports into their patient treatment programs.
Nearly a decade later, in 1960, the 9th Stoke Mandeville International Games, considered the first Paralympics, took place in Rome, just six days after the conclusion of the Rome Summer Olympics. Five thousand people attended the opening ceremony of this sports event for the disabled at the Acqua Acetosa Stadium, featuring 400 athletes, all in wheelchairs, from 23 countries. There were 8 sports on the competition program: athletics, wheelchair basketball, swimming, table tennis, archery, billiards, darts, and wheelchair fencing.
By the Tokyo 1964 Games, wheelchair racing was officially added as a competitive event. At that time, athletes still did not have specialized wheelchairs and had to use handcrafted ones that were commonly used in daily life. The first models of improved wheelchairs appeared only in the early 1980s.
The Formation of Regulations
In 1972, in Heidelberg (Germany), just before the Munich Summer Olympics, the heads of delegations and coaches met for the first time to discuss the regulations applicable to each sport. They chose to establish subcommittees for sports from the organizing committee of the Stoke Mandeville Games. This decision granted each sport greater autonomy in its development and paved the way for the classification of disabilities by sport in the future. In Toronto (Canada), in 1976, 261 amputee athletes and 187 visually impaired athletes were allowed to compete alongside wheelchair athletes.
In 1988, the Paralympics were held for the first time at the same venue as the Summer Olympics in Seoul (South Korea). The event took place two weeks after the Summer Olympics (October 15-24) with the participation of 3,057 athletes from 60 countries. Many Olympic officials in Seoul were specifically recruited and trained regarding Paralympic specifics to work for both events.
A significant moment in Paralympic history came on September 22, 1989, when the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was established. The IPC is the governing body that oversees and coordinates the Summer and Winter Paralympics as well as other competitions for athletes with disabilities worldwide.
The year 2000 marked a turning point in the history of the Paralympic Games. The 11th Summer Paralympics in Sydney shared resources with the Olympic organizing committee. The host city and its officials were responsible for both events. After the Sydney Olympics, athletes with intellectual disabilities were excluded from future Paralympic programs due to blatant cheating by the Spanish basketball team. The IPC recognized the need to reform the evaluation system for athletes’ intellectual disabilities.
Vietnam’s disabled sports team photographed at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Village – (Photo: L.Đ.N).
The Era of Media
On June 19, 2001, an agreement was signed between the IOC and IPC to ensure and support the organization of the Paralympics. The document confirmed that starting from the Beijing 2008 Olympics, the Paralympics will always take place immediately after the Olympic Games and will use the same facilities and sports venues, the same athletes’ village, and the same registration and travel fees. Therefore, every future host city selected will have to organize both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.
In Beijing, the media development was affirmed as the Paralympics were broadcast in 80 countries, reaching a total of 3.8 billion viewers. Subsequently, the London 2012 Olympics marked a new turning point that showcased inclusion and pride among disabled individuals. The Paralympic movement continued to thrive during Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
Paris Prepares for the Paralympics
The Paris 2024 Paralympics will take place from August 28 to September 8, two weeks after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics. Unlike the Olympics, the opening ceremony of the Paralympics will occur outdoors in the city center at Place de la Concorde, but not on the Seine River.
This performance will again be directed by Thomas Jolly, promising to deliver many exciting “surprises” for the audience. The delegations of athletes participating in the 2024 Paralympics will parade along the Champs Elysées, gathering before the stage set up at Place de la Concorde. Following the parade and artistic performances will be the torch-lighting ceremony at the Tuileries Garden, adjacent to the square. The Olympic flame for Paris 2024 will be lit for the Paralympic Games and will soar into the Paris sky for the duration of the 12-day event. The Paralympics will conclude with a closing ceremony at the Stade de France on the evening of September 8.
Competition Program
From August 29 to Sunday, September 8, various disabled athletes will compete in 549 events across 22 sports, including many events from the official Olympic competition system that have been modified in format and regulations to adapt to disabled athletes, as well as several specialized sports.
There will be 20 competition venues welcoming disabled athletes at the Paris Paralympics, concentrated in the Paris area and its surroundings.
The disabled sports delegations will also be welcomed at the athletes’ village, which has been renovated and equipped to meet the specific needs of individuals with disabilities.
According to the event organizers, there will be 4,400 athletes representing 180 teams from various countries and territories participating in the Paris Paralympics. Approximately 350,000 spectators, including disabled individuals, are expected to attend the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. The Paris city government and the Île-de-France region have undertaken repairs and installations of additional equipment at public venues to facilitate easier access for disabled individuals.
To ensure security for the Paris Paralympics, the French government will mobilize 25,000 law enforcement personnel throughout the 12 days of the event.
Paris is ready to welcome the 2024 Paralympics, the largest sporting festival in the world for resilient individuals striving to overcome challenges in life.
