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, are held almost immediately following the respective Olympic Games. All Paralympic Games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
The Paralympics began as a small gathering of British World War II veterans in 1948. The 1960 Games in Rome drew 400 athletes with disabilities from 23 countries, as proposed by doctor Antonio Maglio. As of the early 21st century, it is one of the largest international sporting events. Paralympians strive for equal treatment with non-disabled Olympic athletes, but there is a large funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The Paralympic Games are organized in parallel with and in a similar way to the Olympic Games. The IOC-recognized Special Olympics World Games include athletes with intellectual disabilities (although since 1992, intellectually disabled people also participate in the Paralympic Games), and the Deaflympics held since 1924 are exclusive for deaf athletes.
Given the wide variety of disabilities of Para athletes, there are several categories in which they compete. The allowable disabilities are divided into ten eligible impairment types: impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment and intellectual impairment. These categories are further divided into various subcategories.
Host cities[]
Summer Paralympic Games[]
| Edition | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1960 | 18 September | 25 September | Rome, Italy | Aqua Acetosa | Camillo Giardina Minister of Health of Italy |
| II | 1964 | 3 November | 12 November | Tokyo, Japan | Oda Field | Akihito Crown Prince of Japan |
| III | 1968 | 4 November | 13 November | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hebrew University Stadium | Yigal Allon Deputy Prime Minister of Israel |
| IV | 1972 | 2 August | 11 August | Heidelberg, West Germany | Heidelberg Thingstätte | Gustav Heinemann President of the Federal Republic of Germany |
| V | 1976 | 3 August | 11 August | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Woodbine Racetrack Centennial Park Stadium |
Pauline McGibbon Lieutenant Governor of Ontario |
| VI | 1980 | 21 June | 30 June | Arnhem, Netherlands | National Sports Centre Papendal | Princess Margriet Princess of the Netherlands |
| VII | 1984 | 17 June | 30 June | New York City, New York, United States | Mitchel Athletic Complex | Ronald Reagan President of the United States |
| 22 July | 1 August | Stoke Mandeville, England, United Kingdom | Stoke Mandeville, Stadium | Charles, Prince of Wales Prince of the United Kingdom | ||
| VIII | 1988 | 15 October | 24 October | Seoul, South Korea | Seoul Olympic Stadium | Roh Tae-woo President of South Korea |
| IX | 1992 | 3 September | 14 September | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc | Queen Sofía of Spain Queen consort of Spain |
| 15 September | 22 September | Madrid, Spain | Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid | |||
| X | 1996 | 16 August | 25 August | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Centennial Olympic Stadium | Al Gore Vice President of the United States |
| XI | 2000 | 18 October | 29 October | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Stadium Australia | William Deane Governor-General of Australia |
| XII | 2004 | 17 September | 28 September | Athens, Greece | Olympic Stadium | Konstantinos Stephanopoulos President of Greece |
| XIII | 2008 | 6 September | 17 September | Beijing, China | Beijing National Stadium | Hu Jintao President of the People's Republic of China |
| XIV | 2012 | 29 August | 9 September | London, England, United Kingdom | Olympic Stadium | Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom |
| XV | 2016 | 7 September | 18 September | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Maracanã Stadium | Michel Temer President of Brazil |
| XVI | 2020 | 24 August 2021 | 5 September 2021 | Tokyo, Japan | Japan National Stadium | Naruhito Emperor of Japan |
| XVII | 2024 | 28 August | 8 September | Paris, France | Place de la Concorde (opening) Stade de France (athletics and closing) |
Emmanuel Macron President of France |
| XVIII | 2028 | 15 August | 27 August | Los Angeles, California, United States | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Winner of the 2024 U.S. presidential election President of the United States |
| XIX | 2032 | 24 August | 5 September | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Brisbane Cricket Ground | David Hurley (or his successor) Governor-General of Australia (representing Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia) |
Winter Paralympic Games[]
| Edition | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1976 | 21 February | 28 February | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden | Kempehallen | Carl XVI Gustaf King of Sweden |
| II | 1980 | 1 February | 7 February | Geilo, Norway | Vestia Resort | Olav V King of Norway |
| III | 1984 | 14 January | 20 January | Innsbruck, Austria | Olympiahalle | Rudolf Kirchschläger President of Austria |
| IV | 1988 | 17 January | 24 January | Kurt Waldheim President of Austria | ||
| V | 1992 | 25 March | 1 April | Tignes-Albertville, France | Stade Lognan | François Mitterand President of France |
| VI | 1994 | 10 March | 19 March | Lillehammer, Norway | Håkons Hall | Queen Sonja of Norway Queen consort of Norway |
| VII | 1998 | 5 March | 14 March | Nagano, Japan | M-Wave | Naruhito Crown Prince of Japan |
| VIII | 2002 | 7 March | 16 March | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium | George W. Bush President of the United States |
| IX | 2006 | 10 March | 19 March | Turin, Italy | Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino | Carlo Azeglio Ciampi President of Italy |
| X | 2010 | 12 March | 21 March | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | BC Place | Michaëlle Jean Governor General of Canada |
| XI | 2014 | 7 March | 16 March | Sochi, Russia | Fisht Olympic Stadium | Vladimir Putin President of Russia |
| XII | 2018 | 9 March | 18 March | Pyeongchang, South Korea | Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium | Moon Jae-in President of South Korea |
| XIII | 2022 | 4 March | 13 March | Beijing, China | Beijing National Stadium | Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China |
| XIV | 2026 | 6 March | 15 March | Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Verona Arena (opening) Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio (closing) |
Sergio Mattarella President of Italy (expected) |