Decoding the Paralympics

The Paralympic movement traces its roots back to 1948, when Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized the first Stoke Mandeville Games in England for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. This event laid the foundation for what would become the Paralympic Games we know today.

In 1960, the inaugural Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy, featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then, the Paralympics has evolved into a global phenomenon, showcasing the athletic prowess of para-athletes from diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Integration with the Summer Olympics

The term "Paralympics" combines the Greek prefix "para," meaning "alongside," with "Olympics," symbolizing the parallel nature of the Games alongside the Summer Olympics. However, the use of the name "Paralympics" lead to some disagreements between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) over the years. These disputes mainly revolved around issues of branding, sponsorship, and the commercialization of the Games, with a major issue of contention being the use of the word “Olympic” by IPC. Nevertheless, both organizations have worked to resolve these conflicts and maintain a collaborative relationship in promoting the Paralympic movement.

The IPC was founded in 1989, with the aim of governing and promoting the Paralympic Games and para-sports worldwide. The integration of the Paralympic Games and the Summer Olympics began to take shape gradually. It was in Seoul that the Paralympic Summer Games were held directly after the 1988 Summer Olympics, in the same host city, and using the majority of the venues. This set a precedent that was followed in 1992, 1996, and 2000.

The integration was motivated by several factors, including a growing recognition of the talents and abilities of para-athletes, changing societal attitudes towards disability, and efforts to promote inclusivity in sports. The integration was eventually formalized in an agreement between the IPC and the IOC in 2001 and was extended through 2020. On March 10, 2018, the two further extended their contract to 2032.

Today, both events are held in the same host city, under the umbrella of a unified organizing committee.

Challenges Faced by the Paralympic Movement

While the Paralympic movement has made significant strides, it is not without its challenges. Accessibility remains a prominent hurdle, with many venues and facilities still inaccessible to athletes with disabilities, limiting their participation and impeding the movement's growth.

Paris 2024 is set to be hosted later this year. Up to 2,500 wheelchair-bound spectators are expected at the competition venues on each day of the Paralympic Games – a figure that rises to 4,000 for the Olympic Games. But "France is lagging far behind" in terms of accessibility, said Patrice Tripoteau, Deputy Director General of APF France handicap, in April 2023. This starts with public transport. While 100% of Paris streetcars and buses are accessible to people with disabilities, only 9% of metro lines are. By summer 2024, 14% of them should be, as should 93% of the Paris rail network (currently 66%) and 89% (compared with 75% today) of the ?le-de-France rail network.

Moreover, the complexity of the classification system poses challenges, with inconsistencies across different sports raising concerns about fairness and transparency.

Despite the Paralympics' increasing popularity and athletic excellence, there are still significant funding challenges. After the Games, there is often a decline in public interest, leading to commercial difficulties for athletes and sports organizations. Athletes frequently encounter financial constraints and limited competitive opportunities due to the sporadic hosting of major events and inconsistent support.

The funding gap between Olympic and Paralympic programs is striking. For example - for Tokyo 2020, UK Sport allocated ￡265 million to the Olympic team and only ￡71 million to the Paralympic team. The paralympic budget was just 21% of the budget of the combined British team.

Despite the funding disparity, the Great Britain Paralympics team claimed 124 podium places, consisting of 41 gold, while the Olympics team secured 64 medals. The Indian Olympics team secured 7 medals in Tokyo 2020, whereas Tokyo 2020 was India's most successful Paralympic season with 19 medals.

Opportunities for the Future

Despite the challenges, there are numerous opportunities to enhance the Paralympic movement and promote inclusion in sports. Technological innovation is emerging as a powerful tool for progress, revolutionizing adaptive sports equipment and training techniques. Everything used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capacities of people with disabilities is considered Assistive Technology (AT).

A growing number of Paralympic athletes are using 3D printing as a tool to advance sports like cycling and running during the past ten years. Wheelchairs used by athletes now have backrests and additional caster wheels for greater movement, customized gloves allow for better maneuvering. Advances in prosthetics and assistive devices continue to push the boundaries of athletic performance, opening doors to new possibilities for athletes with disabilities.

In the words of Sir Ludwig Guttmann, the founder of the Paralympic movement, "The Paralympic Games are not about winning medals. They are about conquering oneself, about pushing beyond one's limits and realizing one's true potential." Let’s celebrate these ideals at the upcoming Paralympic Games, 2024.