The Paralympic Games are a major international sports competition for athletes with disabilities, comparable to the Olympic Games. They are divided into Summer and Winter Games, which occur alternately every two years. The Games include many of the same events as the Olympics, such as:
- Winter Sports: Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon
- Summer Sports: Cycling, archery, swimming
Sports equipment is often modified to accommodate specific impairments.
Details of the Paralympics can be traced back to 1948 when Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair-bound athletes better known as Stoke Mandeville Games held in concomitance with the London Olympics. The first Paralympics was held in Rome in the year 1960 participating by 400 athletes from 23 countries in 8 games. Since then, these games have been held every four years soon after the Olympic games, and in the same city that is hosting the Olympics.
Governance
Paralympic games are governed by the International Paralympic Committee which was formed in 1989 and is located in Germany. The word itself is a blend of two Greek roots – ‘parama’ meaning along or alongside which refers to the fact that the Paralympic Games are held side by side with the Olympic Games.
List of Host Cities
The Paralympic Games are currently held shortly after the Olympic Games in the same host city. The first Paralympic Games were held in 1960 in Rome, while the first Winter Paralympics took place in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 1976. Check out the table given below listing the host cities for the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games:
| Year | Summer Paralympic Games | Winter Paralympic Games |
| 1960 | Rome, Italy | - |
| 1964 | Tokyo, Japan | - |
| 1968 | Tel Aviv, Israel | - |
| 1972 | Heidelberg, West Germany | - |
| 1976 | Toronto, Canada | Örnsköldsvik, Sweden |
| 1980 | Arnhem, Netherlands | Geilo, Norway |
| 1984 | Stoke Mandeville, UK & New York, USA | Innsbruck, Austria |
| 1988 | Seoul, South Korea | Innsbruck, Austria |
| 1992 | Barcelona, Spain | Tignes-Albertville, France |
| 1996 | Atlanta, USA | Lillehammer, Norway |
| 2000 | Sydney, Australia | Nagano, Japan |
| 2004 | Athens, Greece | Salt Lake City, USA |
| 2008 | Beijing, China | Turin, Italy |
| 2012 | London, UK | Vancouver, Canada |
| 2016 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Sochi, Russia |
| 2020 | Tokyo, Japan (held in 2021) | Pyeongchang, South Korea |
| 2024 | Paris, France | - |
| 2026 | - | Milan – Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy |
| 2030 | - | French Alps, France |
| 2034 | - | Salt Lake City – Utah, USA |
The Paralympic Games have developed over the period and currently, they comprise one of the biggest sports events which allows people with disabilities to display their abilities and encourages social integration.
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