paralympic sports

Paralympic sports are organised competitive sporting activities which are part of the Paralympic Games sport programme and governed by International Sport Federations or International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled (IOSD).

Some sports, such as Para archery and wheelchair basketball, were developed out of rehabilitation programmes for World War II veterans.

Paralympic sports comprise summer and winter sports contested at the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games. The number of sports, disciplines and medal events may change from one Paralympic Games edition to another.

There are currently 29 Paralympic sports sanctioned by the IPC; 23 summer and six winter sports. Para climbing is the most recent addition to the Paralympic Games programme. The IPC approved a proposal by the LA28 Organising Committee to include the sport.

The newest winter sport is Para snowboard, which was first introduced at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games.

History

Organised sport for persons with physical disabilities developed out of rehabilitation programmes at Stoke Mandeville, UK, by Sir Ludwig Guttman. Following World War II, in response to the needs of large numbers of injured ex-service members and civilians, sport was introduced as a key part of rehabilitation.

Sport for rehabilitation grew into recreational sport and then into competitive sport. In 1948, the Stoke Mandeville Games were organised for the first time as a sports competition for wheelchair athletes. They featured 16 individuals (14 men and two women) competing in Para archery. This was the origin of what evolved into the modern Paralympic Games, which today attracts over 4,400 athletes with physical, vision and intellectual impairments.

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATIONS

International Sport Federations and International Organisations of Sport for the Disabled serve as the governing bodies for Paralympic sports and administer the sport at a world level. Their responsibilities include technical jurisdiction and guidance over the competition and training venues of their respective sports during the Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games.

An International Sport Federation must be recognised by the IPC as the sole representative of a Paralympic sport. Currently, the IPC recognises 17 international federations governing 19 Para sports. At the 2025 IPC General Assembly, IPC members will be invited to increase the number of international federations to 18 with the approval of the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) due to inclusion in the LA28 Paralympic Games.

The IPC is responsible for the governance of five sports (Para athletics, Para ice hockey, Para powerlifting, Para swimming and shooting Para sport).

The IPC is also committed to promoting the development of sport opportunities and recognises some international sport federations that are not eligible to be IPC members. These federations contribute to the development of sport opportunities for athletes associated with the Paralympic Movement.