|
Home
Glossary
Messages
Interact
About Us
Resources
Links
|
| Sports for Amputees | |
 The Paralympic Games offers international sport competitions for people with disabilities. Here are the sports included in the Paralympic Games:
|
|
|
Summer Sports:
|
|
| Archery: The first archery games for the disabled were held in 1948 in England. In the Paralympics, there are singles, doubles, and team events like the Olympics. | |
| Athletics: Track and field offers track, throwing, jumping, pentathlon, and the marathon. Each athlete competes according to his or her condition | |
| Boccia: In boccia, a leather ball is thrown, kicked, or hit as close as possible to white balls that are targets. This is a team or individual sport. | |
| Cycling: Athletes ride bicycles or tricycles. Amputees are allowed modified cycles in the race. | |
| Equestrian: In Equestrian, athletes must follow riding patterns while riding a horse. Riders are classified with their ability to function and their ability to control the horse. | |
| Fencing: Wheelchair fencing was introduced in 1953 and has evolved into the sport now where the wheelchair is fixed to the ground. | |
| Goalball: Goalball is played with blind athletes. The object is to throw the ball into the opponent's goal by using bells on the ball for hearing. | |
| Judo: For blind competitors, the mats for judo have texture to indicate the competition area. | |
| Powerlifting: Currently, powerlifting is for athletes of many disabilities. In fact, there are 10 weight classes for both men and women. | |
| Sailing: The difference in paralympics is the yachts have keels that keep the boat stable. | |
| Shooting: Shooting includes rifles and pistols, air and .22 caliber. People with different level of disability are grouped together as individuals or teams. | |
| Soccer: Amputee soccer was started in Seattle Washington twenty years ago when an amputee named Don Bennett kicked an oncoming basketball that was rolling towards him. It is played with seven people on a team. For more info to go: http://www.ampsoccer.org/about_us.htm | |
| Swimming: Swimming is open to all athletes with impairments, but no prostheses or other devises may be worn. | |
| Table Tennis: The two types of table tennis are standing and in wheelchair. There are singles and teams with men and women grouped by disability. | |
| Wheelchair Basketball: This sport is governed by the international Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). The game includes three guards and two forwards and there is a special way of dribbling the ball. | |
| Wheelchair Rugby: Wheelchair rugby teams are consisted of four players and eight substitutes. Players are given point values according to their ability. In addition, the ball can be carried, dribbled, or passed. | |
| Wheelchair Tennis: Wheelchair tennis started in the seventies and is developing. The main difference between wheelchair tennis and normal tennis is that the ball is allowed to bounce twice. | |
|
Volleyball: There is sitting and standing volleyball. In the paralympics, the net is lower and the court is smaller.
|
|
|
Winter Sports: Alpine Skiing: Companions guide Skiers with vision problems and amputees are allowed to use equipment to make up for their loss. |
|
| Cross-Country Skiing: Usually, competitors use "sit-ski" which is a chair with a pair of skis under it. | |
| Ice Sledge Hockey: Like hockey, there are six players per team. Players use a stick with one end to hit the puck and the other to move. | |
| Ice Sledge Racing: In this game, sledges replace skates and the competitor propels him or herself with two poles. | |
| Wheelchair Dance Sport: This is the newest sport added to the Paralympics. In this sport, people in wheelchairs can enjoy ballroom dancing with either a disabled or non-disabled partner. | |
| For more information go to http://www.paralympic.org/ | |