History of the Paralympic Games: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is founded. Mustapha Badid wins the 1500m, 200m, 5000m and marathon
HIBAPRESS-RABAT
1972
The Paralympic Games were held in Heidelberg (Germany) before the Munich Olympics, from 2 to 11 August. 984 participants, exclusively in wheelchairs, from 43 countries took part. During these Games, amputee athletes demonstrated to obtain the right to participate in the events. It was also during these Games that, for the first time, the heads of delegation and coaches met to discuss the regulations in force in each event. They opted for the creation of subcommittees by sport within the organising committee of the Stoke Mandeville Games. This decision gave each discipline more autonomy in its development and paved the way for future disability classifications by sport.
1976
The 5th Paralympic Games took place in Toronto (Canada) from August 3 to 11, while the Olympic Games were held in Montreal. They brought together 1,657 athletes, including only 253 women, from 40 countries. For the first time, 261 amputee athletes and 187 visually impaired athletes were allowed to participate, in addition to wheelchair athletes. A young Canadian named Arnie Boldt, aged just 18, celebrated the entry of amputee athletes to the Games in the most beautiful way. A femoral amputee, he made an impression with a performance of 1.86m in the high jump. He was honoured at the closing ceremony as Athlete of the Games.
Goalball, a discipline reserved exclusively for people with visual impairments, is making its debut on the programme, as are the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m in wheelchair athletics as well as sport shooting. These Games also represent a significant media breakthrough with daily broadcasts on Canadian television.
In the same year, the first Winter Paralympic Games were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden.
1980
From June 21 to July 5, the Paralympic Games were held in Arnhem, Netherlands, while the Olympic Games were held in Moscow, USSR. 1973 athletes from 43 countries were present, among them 125 athletes with cerebral palsy, who were allowed to participate for the first time. Sitting volleyball, reserved only for amputee athletes, made its debut on the official program. The Netherlands, the host country, were the winners of the tournament.
1984
The Paralympic Games take place in two venues, New York (from June 16 to 30, for sports played “standing”) and Stoke Mandeville (from July 22 to August 1, for sports played “sitting”), and bring together a total of 2,900 athletes from 45 nations.
Amputee athletes (standing and wheelchair) were divided into nine categories, IMC athletes were divided into eight categories, visually impaired athletes into three categories and other disabilities into six categories. At the time a stronghold of the discipline, the French team won the prestigious wheelchair basketball tournament by dominating the Netherlands in the final with a score of 68/61.
1988
For the first time, the Paralympic Games were held on the same sites as the Olympic Games, in Seoul (Korea). They took place two weeks after the Olympic Games (October 15-24) with 3,057 athletes and 60 nations. Many Olympic officials were recruited and specially trained in the Paralympic specificities in order to work for both Games. One Frenchman, Mustapha Badid, particularly stood out. He won the 1500m “demonstration”, integrated into the Olympic Games program. He would also win the 200m, the 5,000m and the marathon during the Paralympics. Another notable performance was that of Dennis Oehler, the first athlete with a tibial amputee to go under the 12-second mark in the 100m, with a time of 11”73.
September 22, 1989
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is founded.
