PARALYMPICS: PARALYMPICS


Slide2: History of the Paralympics In 1944 Dr Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries centre at Stoke Mandeville hospital in England. He pioneered a new approach to rehabilitation, centred on sport. The Paralympics movement, as it is known today, began life as an organised sports competition for veterans of the second world war (who were suffering from spinal chord injuries) in 1948.


Slide3: The opening day of that first competition coincided with the opening day of the 1948 London Olympic Games. Within a short time competitors from Holland were also taking part. It was the first organised competition for wheelchair athletes.


Slide5: It was not,however, until 1960 that a games on the Olympic pattern was first organised and a further 16 years before competition was expanded to include other disability groups at the Toronto Games in 1976. The games for the disabled were initially held as an independent event but have shared the main Olympic venue since the 1988 games at Seoul.


Slide7: It was not until 1988 that a commitment was made by the full Olympic Organising Committee to assist the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) with the organisation of the games.


Slide8: Impairment Classifications The current impairment classifications include athletes with:- 1] Cerebral Palsy 2] Spinal Cord, Spina Bifida and Polio 3] Blindness 4] Amputations


Slide10: The first games to be known as the Olympic Games for the Disabled took place in Sweden in 1980, and the first use of the term “Paralympics” was at the games of 1988.


Slide11: IOC Support of the Disabled Movement Although Samaranch was known to support the Disabled Movement, it also became apparent that he preferred the association not to interfere with the IOC’s prospects of developing relationships with would-be sponsors. It became fairly clear that it was felt that too close an association with Disabled sport might harm the Market Potential of the games.


Slide12: There were allegations that in a series of meetings in 1983 with Dr Jens Bromann of the IPC, Samaranch made 3 things clear:- 1] He did not want the title “The olympic games for the Disabled” used again-for marketing reasons. 2] He would not allow the olympic flag or symbols to be used in connection with disabled events 3] The IPC were not to ask for the inclusion of disability events in the main olympic programme. It was 5 years after these reported meetings with Dr Bromann that the IOC officially embraced Disabled sport.


Slide13: It is worth considering why this has come about. Perhaps there has been a change of heart on the part of its leader, perhaps marketing opportunities now embrace disabled sport or maybe the pressure of world opinion has penetrated the previous impenetrable.


Slide18: Links with the Olympic Movement The Paralympics represent the pinnacle of achievement in disability sport. As the movement itself has grown, the number of athletes involved has increased from 400 in 1960 to just over 3000 in Atlanta. The following table indicates the increased number of athletes participating.


Slide20: Venues are now shared with the “big brother” games and since 1988 the IOC has, at least officially, acknowledged and embraced the paralympics. Paralympics


KEY WORDS: KEY WORDS DR LUDWIG GUTTMANN STOKE MANDEVILLE PARALYMPICS INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE OLYMPIC GAMES FOR THE DISABLED MARKET POTENTIAL THREE TEARDROPS FUNDING RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE


Slide22: PROVISION OPPORTUNITY SOCIETAL VALUES INCLUSION