It was long believed that the world of sports was closed to people with disabilities. This stereotype was changed by British neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttman.
He managed to prove that it was the sports that could help people with disabilities to become stronger not only physically but also psychologically. Moreover, sport enables such people to gain the will to live, thereby greatly improving its quality, filling with activity, optimism and positive emotions.
The sports movement of people with disabilities eventually resulted in the conduct of the Paralympic Games - a sporting event, which is watched by the world community as closely as the main Olympics.
In 2018, the world again sees Paralympic athletes competing at the Winter Games, which are taking place in South Korea's Pyeongchang.
Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang
The opening ceremony of the 2018 Paralympic Games was held in Pyeongchang on 9 March. The Games will last until March 18. The Himalayan white-breasted bear became the talisman of the Games.
"These Games have already become a record breaker, with 567 athletes from 48 countries, including Georgia, Tajikistan and North Korea taking part in them. It will be their first appearance at the Winter Paralympic Games," said the president of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons.
The Russian athletes cannot participate in the Games under the national flag because of the suspension of the Russian Paralympic Committee. They take part in competitions under the Paralympic flag in the status of "neutral Paralympic athletes from Russia".
From the history of the Paralympic Games
The first organized athletic day for disabled athletes that coincided with the Olympic Games took place on the day of the opening of the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. The first games were called the 1948 International Wheelchair Games and were intended to coincide with the 1948 Olympics. Dr Guttman's aim was to create an elite sports competition for people with disabilities that would be equivalent to the Olympic Games. The games were held again at the same location in 1952, and Dutch and Israeli veterans took part alongside the British, making it the first international competition of its kind. These early competitions, also known as the Stoke Mandeville Games, have been described as the precursors of the Paralympic Games.
The first Stoke-Mandeville Games, held in 1948
The first official Paralympic Games was held in Rome in 1960. 400 athletes from 23 countries competed at the 1960 Games. Since 1960, the Paralympic Games have taken place in the same year as the Olympic Games.
Opening of the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960
The Games were initially open only to athletes in wheelchairs; at the 1976 Summer Games, athletes with different disabilities were included for the first time at a Summer Paralympics. With the inclusion of more disability classifications the 1976 Summer Games expanded to 1,600 athletes from 40 countries.
Opening of the first Paralympic Summer Games in Seoul in 1988
The 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, South Korea, was another milestone for the Paralympic movement. It was in Seoul that the Paralympic Summer Games were held directly after the Olympic Summer Games, in the same host city, and using the same facilities. This set a precedent that was followed in 1992, 1996 and 2000. The 1992 Winter Paralympics were the first Winter Games to use the same facilities as the Winter Olympics.
Pridnestrovian Paralympic athletes
Valery Zaim is a two-time participant of the Paralympic Games. He first took part in the 10th Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996.
Valery Zaim
From 16 to 25 August the competitions were held in 20 sports, three of which were demonstrative. For the first time 56 athletes with intellectual disabilities participated in swimming and track and field events.
"We performed well at those Olympics. Our athlete Nikolay Chumak won a bronze medal - this is the only medal in our country. I came fifth in the high jump and pentathlon," explained Valery Zaim.
In 2000, Valery took part in the following 11th Paralympic Games in Sydney. For the second time in history after Melbourne in 1956, the Olympics were held in the southern hemisphere.
"In Sydney, our results were a bit worse because of worse preparation. But we still got to the finals, and I came seventh in the high jump," said Valery Zaim.
He says that it was difficult to qualify for the Games back then. Now the path to Olympus has become even more difficult.
"Now this is a very difficult procedure because it is necessary to be licensed by the International Paralympic Committee. After this, it is only possible to qualify for the Paralympic Games at the official World or European Championships," notes Valery Zaim.
Nikolay Chumak is a three-time participant of the Paralympic Games. The most memorable for him were the games in Atlanta, where he won bronze in the marathon.
Nikolai Chumak
"This is an unforgettable experience. This can only be seen there at the Olympic Games. Everything is provided for athletes there. Everything is organized at the highest level," Nikolai Chumak shared his impressions.
Tiraspol swimmer Alexander Kovalyov is also a participant in the Paralympic Games.
Alexander Kovalyov
For more than ten years, he had been going to his goal until he got to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where he took part in the swimming. Athletes from 160 contended 528 sets of medals in 23 sports there.
The 2016 Paralympic Games saw a record-breaking number of female athletes.
"Before the Olympic Games, I did lots of work - long daily training. I used to go to the pool three times a week, and when I was training for the Olympics, I wentr there even on Saturdays," said Alexander Kovalyov.
Not always the fulfilment of all Paralympic requirements guarantees participation in the Olympics.
In 2016, Pridnestrovian table tennis player Dmitry Lavrov - 12th in the world ranking - was to go to the Olympics, but he was suspended as a member of the Russian national team. This was the very beginning of the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee.
Dmitry Lavrov
"Of course, I was psychologically upset. This is the start of your whole life, and when you are deprived of it, someone can despair, and someone, on the contrary, will get angry and train even harder. I'm one of those who get angry. Therefore, I think that my goal is still ahead of me, and everything will be fine," Dmitry Lavrov shared his impressions.
Now he is training for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. With the first steps already made, he has a long way to go. This year Dmitry will take part in the Cup of Russia and other rating tournaments. Dmitry is also preparing for the World Championships in Slovenia.
