The Paralympic Winter Games 2010

 

Did the Olympics in Vancouver leave you wanting more winter sports? If so, then you’re in luck: The 2010 Paralympic Winter Games began on March 12th and feature talented athletes competing in lots of your favorite sports!

The Paralympics are Olympic-style sporting events for athletes with a disability. What is now the Paralympics was first started in 1948 as a sports competition for injured war veterans and became officially known as the Paralympics in 1960 when the first Olympic-like games were held in Rome. 

Today’s Paralympics include competitors with many different kinds of disabilities who are all accomplished athletes! Just like at the Olympics, the athletes at the Paralympics come from around the world and represent their country while competing for medals in gold, silver, and bronze! The games always fall alongside the Olympics and in recent years have also started being held in the same host city and venues. 

This year in Vancouver, the Paralympics will consist of competitions in Alpine, Biathlon, and Cross-Country Skiing as well as Wheelchair Curling and Ice Sledge Hockey! Depending on the sport and the competitor, each event has adaptations for the Paralympic athletes. For example, in Alpine skiing, skiers who are unable to stand can race on a “mono-ski” (a special piece of equipment that works like a seat attached to a single ski) while those who are visually impaired ski with a guide. In Ice Sledge Hockey, the players sit on a special metal frame that sits on top of the blades of two ice skates. (This is the sledge.) They hold a special stick in each hand that they use to push forward and to handle the puck!

This year’s Paralympic games will last until March 21st, so see if you can catch some the awesome accomplishments of these great athletes before it ends!