32 years after hosting the 2002 Winter Games, the Paralympics are coming back to Salt Lake City. While the exact dates of the games are yet to be announced, the Paralympics will take place just weeks after the Winter Olympics.
The Winter Paralympic games include six events. Para athletes compete in the following:
- Para alpine skiing
- Para biathlon
- Para cross-country skiing
- Para ice-hockey
- Para snowboard
- Wheelchair curling
Para snowboard is the newest event, debuting in the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi.
What are the Paralympics?
The Paralympic Games are an opportunity for athletes with disabilities to display their skills on the world stage. Not only do these talented athletes get to perform at Olympic venues, but the events are broadcast around the world. The first Paralympic competition took place at the 1948. 16 injured servicemen and women competed in archery at the Olympic Games in London. This competition known as the Stoke Mandeville Games. The name changed to the Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960. In the 1960 Games, 400 Paralympic athletes competed from 23 countries.
The first Winter Paralympic Games took place in 1976 in Sweden. The Paralympics occur every four years with the Winter and Summer Olympics. Since 1988, the Paralympics have taken place in the same cities. Paralympic athletes also compete in the same venues and have their own open and closing ceremonies.
Increasing Accessibility
The Paralympics are an opportunity for host cities to enhance accessibility. Paris invested heavily in this past summer’s Paralympics. The city spent nearly $140 million to make sure everyone can access the games. Some initiatives will make the city more accessible long after the games end. These include:
- 17 new Accessibility Neighborhoods – Designed to have public services available within 15 minutes
- Increased overground transportation – Fully accessible bus lines, tramways, and one thousand new accessible taxis
- More fully accessible government buildings – 45% in 2022 to 95% in 2025
- Add more sound modules to street intersections – Increase safety and navigation for people with vision impairments
2002 Paralympics in Salt Lake City
The 2002 Paralympics in Salt Lake City were one for the record books. 415 para athletes from 36 countries competed in the Paralympic Games. Para athletes battled for 92 medals across four sports, including:
- Para alpine skiing
- Para biathlon
- Para cross-country skiing
- Para ice hockey
The Paralympic opening ceremonies for took place at Rice Eccles Stadium in front of 40,000 people. The Paralympic torch was carried by Eric Weihenmeyer, who was the first blind man to climb Mount Everest.
The United States Paralympic took home the most medals with 43. Germany secured the most gold medals with 17. The highlight from the United States was penalty shootout victory over Norway in the para ice hockey gold medal match.
The Paralympics in Salt Lake City were greeted with high demand for tickets. Attendance reached nearly 250,000 during the Games.
Salt Lake City becomes the fourth city in the world to host the Paralympics more than once. Salt Lake City joins:
- Innsbruck, Austria (1984 and 1988 Winter)
- Beijing, China (2022 – Winter; 2008 – Summer)
- Tokyo, Japan (1964 and 2020 Summer)
To stay up to date on new and information regarding the 2034 Paralympics, check out the resources below: