IN THE POOL - Swimming.Org
IN THE POOL - Swimming.Org
IN THE POOL - Swimming.Org
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HISTORY OF <strong>THE</strong> PARALYMPIC GAMES<br />
The Paralympic Games originate from 1948 when a sports<br />
competition was organised for World War II veterans with a<br />
spinal cord injury in Stoke Mandeville, England. Four years later<br />
athletes from Holland joined the event and so the international<br />
Paralympic movement was born.<br />
The first recognised Paralympic Games were held in Rome in<br />
1960 and immediately followed the Olympics. Here, around<br />
400 athletes from 23 countries competed in six different<br />
sports, including swimming. Today, the Games are an elite<br />
sports event for athletes from five different disability groups<br />
competing in 20 sports.<br />
<strong>Swimming</strong> has been a part of the Games since its conception.<br />
Swimmers compete in events ranging from 50m to 400m.<br />
This differs slightly from the Olympic Games where swimmers<br />
compete in events up to 800m for women and 1500m for men.<br />
Great Britain’s <strong>Swimming</strong> Medals at<br />
Paralympic GAMES<br />
Year Gold Silver Bronze<br />
1960 11 8 5<br />
1964 7 12 6<br />
1968 13 7 8<br />
1972 2 3 5<br />
1976 13 6 6<br />
1980 18 10 7<br />
1984 26 33 39<br />
1988 24 37 22<br />
1992 22 25 17<br />
1996 16 17 15<br />
2000 15 24 23<br />
2004 16 20 16<br />
2008 11 12 18<br />
Total 194 214 187<br />
Great Britain are one of the strongest nations in Paralympic<br />
swimming finishing in the top four of the medal table at each of<br />
the last six Games.<br />
Mike Kenny has won more gold medals in Paralympic<br />
swimming than any other Briton winning 16 across four<br />
Paralympics 1976-1988.<br />
Jim Anderson will be looking to medal in his sixth Paralympic<br />
Games in a row here in London whilst Sascha Kindred will be<br />
looking to medal in his fifth consecutive Games.<br />
CONTENTS<br />
PR<strong>IN</strong>T