With the Paris Paralympics around the corner, hopes will be high for a strong performance from India again after a very positive performance in the 2020 Tokyo edition. Competition will yet again be fierce from August 28 to September 9, as countries look to compete in 549 events across 22 sports in Paris.
What are the origins of the Paralympics?
The history of the Paralympics goes back to a hospital for war veterans started by Sir Ludwig Guttman in Stoke Mandeville in England. In 1948, the Summer Olympics were being conducted in London, and Guttman decided to conduct a series of events for wheelchair athletes, which he termed the Stoke Mandeville Games. In 1952, veterans from the Netherlands competed as well, making the event the International Stoke Mandeville Games. This would be the genesis of the Paralympics.
When was the first Paralympic Games?
Though the origin of the Paralympics was in the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948, the ninth edition of the International Stoke Mandeville Games is generally considered to be the first Paralympics. It was conducted in Rome in 1960, and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in eight sports. However, it is worth noting that the term Paralympic Games was not officially approved and used by the IOC until 1984, and until then, the events were still called the International Stoke Mandeville Games.
Who are the most successful nations at the Paralympics?
USA is the most successful nation at the Paralympics with 2283 medals, followed by Great Britain (1913) and China (1229).
At the Tokyo 2020 Games, China finished top of the medal table with 207 medals (96 gold, 60 silver, 51 bronze), followed by Great Britain with 124 medals (41 gold, 38 silver, 45 bronze) and USA with 104 medals (37 gold, 36 silver, 31 bronze).
How has India performed in the Paralympics?
India has had a mixed history in the Paralympics. It won its first medal in the 1972 Heidelberg Olympics when Murlikant Petkar won gold in the men’s 50m freestyle 3 event in the then world record time. India’s record now stands at 31 medals, with nine gold, 12 silver, and 10 bronze medals. Tokyo 2020 was India’s strongest performance to date at the Paralympics, securing 19 medals, with five gold medals, eight silver medals, and six bronze medals.
