.:: OTE Paralympic Games

Ελληνικά


	History

	Sports

	Greek Athletes' medals

Sports

The 19 sports of the Paralympic Games are:

Archery (Olympic Baseball Centre (BAS))

It originally started as a rehabilitation and recreation activity. Over the past fifty years, this sport gives the chance to athletes with a disability to practice their expertise, accuracy, strength, and concentration. Athletes with a physical disability such as spinal cord injuries, amputations and Les Autres take part in the Paralympic Games Archery. Athletes fall into three classes. Their aim is to shoot arrows accurately at a 122-cm diameter target, 70 metres away. There are both individual and team events. At the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, the Archery events will take place from 22 to 26 September 2004. (21 September ranking round)

Athletics (Olympic Stadium (STA))

It is one of the most popular Paralympic sports. It involves the largest number of men and women athletes and the largest number of events. Participants are men and women athletes with cerebral palsy, spinal chord injuries, amputations or other physical disabilities, blind athletes and athletes with vision impairment. The competition programme includesrunning events (Marathon), throwing events, jumping events and Pentathlon (combined event). Athletes compete in a wheelchair or using prosthetic legs or arms (artificial limbs), while blind athletes compete with the help of a guide. They are classified in various classes, based on their type of disability. The Athletics competition during the ATHENS 2004 Paralympic Games will be held from 19 to 27 September 2004.

Boccia (Ano Liossia Olympic Hall (LIH))

It is played by individuals, pairs or teams of three. It is a sport for people with cerebral palsy and other locomotor disabilities, who are wheelchair users, on both recreational and competition levels.Boccia matches are held in indoor halls, on specially marked courts. The players' aim is to throw their coloured leather balls, which may be either red or blue, as close as they can to a white target ball, which is called the "jack". During the Paralympic Games of Athens, Boccia will be completed within six days, from 23 to 28 September 2004.