A multi-sport event is an organized sporting event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) nation-states . The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the Olympic Games , first held in modern times in 1896 in Athens, Greece , and inspired by the Ancient Olympic Games , one of a number of such events held in antiquity. Most modern multi-sport events have the same basic structure. Games are held over the course of several days in and around a "host city", which changes for each competition. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes and teams that compete in a wide variety of sports. Athletes or teams are awarded gold , silver or bronze medals for first, second and third place respectively. Each game is generally held every four years, though some are annual competitions.
53-673: The Summer Paralympics , also known as the Games of the Paralympiad , are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, organized by the International Paralympic Committee . Medals are awarded in every event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third,
106-649: A discontinued sport Postponed to 24 August to 5 September 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , marking the first time that the Paralympic Games had been postponed. They are still called the 2020 Summer Paralympics, even with the change in scheduling to one year later. Multi-sport event The Ancient Olympic Games , first held in 776 BC, was the precursor to the Modern Olympic Games , although its first edition only featured
159-1024: A footrace and the number of sporting competitions expanded at later editions. There were several other "games" held in Europe in the classical era : Other multi-sport festivals emerged in the Middle Ages in Europe, including the Cotswold Olimpick Games in England in the 1600s, the Highland Games in Scotland , and the Olympiade de la République in France in the 1800s. In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at multi-sport events were almost exclusively male. As international women's sport began to develop, events such as
212-468: A group of muscles, and abnormal muscle tone . It is seen in disorders such as cerebral palsy , stroke , and spinal cord injury . Rigidity is a severe state of hypertonia where muscle resistance occurs throughout the entire range of motion of the affected joint independent of velocity. It is frequently associated with lesions of the basal ganglia . Individuals with rigidity present with stiffness, decreased range of motion and loss of motor control. Rigidity
265-442: A lesser impairment. Athletes are judged on their muscle strength, joint range of motion, limb length and movement co-ordination. S11 to S13 are those with a visual impairment. S11 will have little or no vision, S12 can recognise the shape of a hand and have some ability to see, S13 greater vision than the other two classes but less than 20 degrees of vision. S14 is for athletes with a learning difficulty. Table Tennis : Table tennis
318-428: A lower net. In the sitting games the only classification rule is that each team may have only one player who fits the minimum disability rule, which is that their disability prevents them from competing on equal terms with able-bodied athletes. The other players on the team must demonstrate a higher level of disability. Wheelchair rugby : Athletes are classified on a points system similar to wheelchair basketball, with
371-418: A physical therapy session could be to inhibit excessive tone as far as possible, give the patient a sensation of normal position and movement, and to facilitate normal movement patterns. While static stretch has been the classical means to increase range of motion, PNF stretching has been used in many clinical settings to effectively reduce muscle spasticity. Icing and other topical anesthetics may decrease
424-659: A selected group of athletes, rather than everybody, which was the case with the Olympic Games. The Soviets organized the first Spartakiad in 1920, a communist alternative to the 'bourgeois' Olympic Games, and in 1922 the University Olympia was organizedor in Italy , the forerunner of the World University Games , meant for students only. Regional games were another kind of multi-sport event that
477-422: A shooting stand, SH2-competitors cannot support the weight of the gun and require a shooting stand, and SH3-Rifle competitors with a visual impairment. Swimming : The Paralympic swimming competition features all four of the strokes used in able-bodied swimming competitions. Classification is divided into three groups: S1 to S10 are those with physical impairment. S1 will have the most severe impairment and an S10
530-438: A sighted guide. Amputee, spinal cord injury and Les Autres competitors compete within the classification groupings LC1 – for riders with upper limb disabilities, LC2 – for riders with disabilities in one leg but who are able to pedal normally, LC3 – essentially for riders with a handicap in one lower limb who will usually pedal with one leg only, and LC4 for riders with disabilities affecting both legs. Equestrian : Equestrian
583-546: A summer Paralympics. With the inclusion of more disability classifications, the 1976 Summer Games expanded to 1,600 athletes from 40 countries. The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first to be hosted in the same venues (and thus use the same facilities) as the Olympics of that year. Since then, all Paralympic Games are now held in the same city that hosted the Olympics, with a two-week gap between each. Rio de Janeiro held
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#1732771856802636-468: A tendency of a limb to return to a fixed involuntary (and sometimes abnormal) posture following movement. Therapeutic interventions are best individualized to particular patients. Basic principles of treatment for hypertonia are to avoid noxious stimuli and provide frequent range of motion exercise. Physiotherapy has been shown to be effective in controlling hypertonia through the use of stretching aimed to reduce motor neuron excitability. The aim of
689-634: A tradition that the Olympic Games started in 1904. The United States, United Kingdom and Japan have each hosted the Summer Paralympic Games twice. Another eleven countries hosted the summer Paralympics once, this list includes: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, South Korea and Spain. As of the 2024 Summer Paralympics, fourteen countries have competed in every edition of
742-513: A wheelchair. Classifications are split into four groups; BC1: Athletes are either throwers or foot players (with cerebral palsy). Athletes may compete with an assistant BC2: For throwing players (with cerebral palsy). Players may not have an assistant BC3: Athletes (with severe disability) who use an assistive device and may be assisted by a person, but this assistant must keep their back to the court. BC4: For throwing players. Players may not have an assistant (non-cerebral palsy). Cycling : Cycling
795-439: Is 5-a-side football, which is open to visually impaired athletes. The second is 7-a-side football, which is open to athletes with cerebral palsy. 5-a-side football is open to all visually impaired athletes. Since there are different levels of visual impairment, all players except the goalie (who acts as a guide) are required to wear eye shades. The field dimensions are smaller than able-bodied football, there are only five players on
848-409: Is a nonselective increase in the tone of agonist and antagonist without velocity dependence, and the increased tone remains uniform throughout the range of movement. On the contrary, spasticity is a velocity-dependent increase in tone resulting from the hyper excitability of stretch reflexes. It primarily involves the antigravity muscles – flexors of the upper limb and extensors of the lower limb. During
901-719: Is open to all disability groups, with riders divided into four grades. Grade 1 incorporates severely disabled riders with cerebral palsy, Les Autres and spinal cord injury. Grade 2 incorporates cerebral palsy, Les Autres , spinal cord injury and amputee riders with reasonable balance and abdominal control. Grade 3 is for cerebral palsy, Les Autres , amputee, spinal cord injury and totally blind athletes with good balance, leg movement and coordination. Grade 4 incorporates athletes who have cerebral palsy, Les Autres , amputation(s), spinal cord injury and/or are visually impaired. This last group comprises ambulant athletes with either impaired vision or impaired arm/leg function. Fencing : Fencing
954-435: Is open to amputee, Les Autres , cerebral palsy and visually impaired athletes who compete in the individual road race and track events. Classifications are broken up into divisions 2, 3 and 4. Athletes in division two are the most severely disabled. While athletes in division four are considered to be higher functioning. Visually impaired athletes compete together with no separate classification system. They ride in tandem with
1007-419: Is open to athletes with a physical disability. Classifications are broken up into three divisions: W1, spinal cord injured and cerebral palsy athletes with impairment in all four limbs. W2, wheelchair users with full arm function. W3, standing amputee, Les Autres and cerebral palsy standing athletes. Some athletes in the standing group will sit on a high stool for support but will still have their feet touching
1060-409: Is open to athletes with a physical disability. There are individual, doubles, and team events. A match is 5 sets of 11 points each. The athletes are broken down into ten divisions based on their level of function. Classes 1 to 5 are for athletes competing from a wheelchair with class 1 being the most severely disabled and class 5 the least disabled. Classes 6 to 10 encompass ambulant athletes with class 6
1113-466: Is open to wheelchair athletes. There are only three classes; class A incorporates those athletes with good balance and recovery and full trunk movement; class B is for those with poor balance and recovery but full use of one or both upper limbs; class C is for athletes with severe physical impairment in all four limbs. Football : There are two forms of football played at the Paralympics. The first
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#17327718568021166-469: Is open to wheelchair athletes. Wheelchair athletes are classified according to their physical ability and are given a point rating between 0.5 – 4.5. The individuals who rate at 0.5 are the most severely disabled and those at 4.5 are the least disabled. A team on the court comprises five players and may not exceed a total of 14 points at any given time. Boccia : Boccia is open to athletes with cerebral palsy or related neurological conditions who compete from
1219-420: Is played from a wheelchair, with two classes, paraplegic (at least one leg must have a permanent and substantial loss of function) and quadriplegic (at least three limbs must have a permanent and substantial loss of function). Volleyball : Volleyball is open to athletes with a physical disability and is performed from a seated position. In sitting volleyball, the court is smaller than the standard court and has
1272-531: Is to deploy quick repeated passive movements to an involved joint in cyclical fashion; this has also been demonstrated to show results on persons without physical disabilities. For a more permanent state of improvement, exercise and patient education is imperative. Isokinetic , aerobic , and strength training exercises should be performed as prescribed by a physiotherapist, and stressful situations that may cause increased tone should be minimized or avoided. Baclofen , diazepam and dantrolene remain
1325-721: The 2016 Summer Paralympics , becoming the first Latin American and South American city to host either the Summer or Winter Games. Tokyo hosted the 2020 Summer Paralympics which made it the first city to host the games twice. Every participant at the Paralympics has their disability grouped into one of ten disability categories ; impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia , ataxia , athetosis , vision impairment and intellectual impairment. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon
1378-582: The International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Arranged for the first time in 1960 in Rome , Italy . The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in Chicago , Illinois, in 1968. The most recent Special Olympics World Winter Games in Schladming, Austria involved 25 sports and approximately 2,277 athletes from 133 countries. At
1431-691: The Women's World Games and Olympics of Grace were held to allow women to engage in sport on the international stage. Though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century. Although the modern tradition commemorates the 1921 revolution , the Naadam festival in Mongolia is a continuation of ancient sporting practises amongst Mongolians. The three events of wrestling, horse racing and archery are thought to date back centuries and represent
1484-540: The Olympic Games, organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) (est. 1894) for the first time in 1896 in Athens , Greece . After some celebrations (1900, 1904), the Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing. The Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities and is organized by
1537-540: The Paralympic sports are set by the International Federation (IF) that governs that sport's international competition. The first official Paralympic Games was held in Rome , Italy , in 1960 . 400 athletes from 23 countries competed at the 1960 Games though only athletes in wheelchairs competed. At the 1976 Summer Games athletes with different disabilities were included for the first time at
1590-682: The Summer Games: Argentina , Australia , Austria , Belgium , France , Great Britain , Ireland , Israel , Italy , Japan , the Netherlands , Sweden , Switzerland , and the United States were represented at all Summer Paralympic Games. From this list, around 6 achieved gold medals in all editions until 2024: Australia, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States. The United States
1643-646: The beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event, the Nordic Games were first held. These Games were held in Scandinavia , and the sports conducted were winter sports such as cross-country skiing and speed skating . The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in Chamonix was declared the first Olympic Winter Games . In the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for
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1696-515: The central nervous system. The lack of or decrease in upper motor neuron function leads to loss of inhibition with resultant hyperactivity of lower motor neurons . Different patterns of muscle weakness or hyperactivity can occur based on the location of the lesion, causing a multitude of neurological symptoms, including spasticity , rigidity , or dystonia . Spastic hypertonia involves uncontrollable muscle spasms , stiffening or straightening out of muscles, shock-like contractions of all or part of
1749-638: The current definition for spasticity, the velocity-dependent over-activity of the stretch reflex , is not sufficient as it fails to take into account patients exhibiting increased muscle tone in the absence of stretch reflex over-activity. They instead suggest that " reversible hypertonia " is more appropriate and represents a treatable condition that is responsive to various therapy modalities like drug or physical therapy. Symptoms associated with central nervous systems disorders are classified into positive and negative categories. Positive symptoms include those that increase muscle activity through hyper-excitability of
1802-509: The first Games for deaf athletes. The Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games , incepted in 1948 in England, were the first Games for wheelchair athletes. In 1960, the first Paralympic Games were held, connected with the Olympic Games . The Special Olympics World Games , for athletes with intellectual disabilities, were first held in 1968. Hypertonia Hypertonia is a term sometimes used synonymously with spasticity and rigidity in
1855-460: The ground. Athletics : Athletics are open to all disability groups and uses a functional classification system. A brief classification guide is as follows: prefixing F for field athletes or T for track athletes. F or T 11–13 are visually impaired, F or T 20 are learning disabled, F or T 32–38 are cerebral palsy, F or T 40–46 amputee and Les Autres , T 51–54 wheelchair track athletes and F 51–58 wheelchair field athletes. Basketball : Basketball
1908-422: The literature surrounding damage to the central nervous system , namely upper motor neuron lesions . Impaired ability of damaged motor neurons to regulate descending pathways gives rise to disordered spinal reflexes , increased excitability of muscle spindles , and decreased synaptic inhibition. These consequences result in abnormally increased muscle tone of symptomatic muscles. Some authors suggest that
1961-420: The most severely disabled and class 10 the least. Tennis : Tennis at the Paralympics is played with all the same rules as able-bodied tennis with the exception that the ball is allowed to bounce twice, and the first bounce must be within the bounds of the court. It is open to athletes with a mobility related disability which means that they cannot compete on equal terms with able-bodied tennis players. The game
2014-435: The most severely disabled athlete being graded at 0.5 points rising to 3.5 points. Each team has four players and is allowed a maximum of eight points on the court at any one time. With reference to the top twenty nations and according to official data of the International Paralympic Committee . A number of different sports have been part of the Paralympic program at one point or another. This color indicates
2067-429: The passive stretch, a brief “free interval” is appreciated in spasticity but not in rigidity because the resting muscle is electromyographically silent in spasticity. In contrast, in rigidity, the resting muscle shows firing. Dystonic hypertonia refers to muscle resistance to passive stretching (in which a therapist gently stretches the inactive contracted muscle to a comfortable length at very low speeds of movement) and
2120-472: The pitch and the ball makes a sound. Otherwise, the rules are exactly the same as able-bodied football. Athletes competing in 7-a-side football are broken down into classes 5, 6, 7 and 8. All classes comprise ambulant athletes; class 5 being the least physically able, progressing through to class 8 who are minimally affected. Teams must include at least one athlete from either class 5 or 6. Furthermore, no more than three players from class 8 are allowed to play at
2173-417: The players react to the ball. Complete silence at the venue is required so that the athletes can orient themselves and to ensure fairness. Judo : Judo is open to visually impaired athletes. The rules are the same as able-bodied judo except that the players are allowed contact with their opponent prior to the start of the match. There are no classifications; participants are divided into weight categories in
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2226-532: The reflexive activity for short period of time in order to facilitate motor function. Inhibitory pressure (applying firm pressure over muscle tendon) and promoting body heat retention and rhythmic rotation (slow repeated rotation of affected body part to stimulate relaxation) have also been proposed as potential methods to decrease hypertonia. Aside from static stretch casting, splinting techniques are extremely valuable to extend joint range of motion lost to hypertonicity. A more unconventional method for limiting tone
2279-575: The sailor must have at least a minimum level of disability which prevents them from competing on equal terms with able-bodied sailors. The two-person event is designed for more severely disabled athletes. Shooting : Shooting is open to athletes with a physical disability. There are only two classes of competition, wheelchair and standing. There are two types of events, pistol and rifle. The athletes are broken down into classes based on their upper body functionality, balance, muscle strength and limb mobility. The three classes are SH1-competitors do not require
2332-399: The same time. Other than the fact that the game is played with seven players the rest of the rules and dimensions of the playing field are the same as able-bodied football. Goalball : Goalball is open to visually impaired athletes who must wear "black out" masks to ensure all participants can compete equally, thereby eliminating the need for classification. The ball has a bell in it to help
2385-555: The same way as able-bodied judo athletes. Powerlifting : Powerlifting is open to athletes with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, amputations (lower limb only), and Les Autres . Since the competition is a test of upper body strength the classifications are by weight category as in able-bodied powerlifting competition. Sailing : Sailing is open to amputee, cerebral palsy, visually impaired, spinal cord injured and Les Autres athletes. There are three events, one for single, double, and triple-crew boats. Classification for sailing in
2438-417: The severity of the disability. Within the ten disability categories the athletes still need to be divided according to their level of impairment. The classification systems differ from sport to sport and is intended to even the playing field so as to allow as many athletes to participate as possible. Classifications vary in accordance with the different skills required to perform the sport. Archery : Archery
2491-408: The specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing. Some sports, such as athletics , divide athletes by both the category and severity of their disabilities, other sports, for example swimming , group competitors from different categories together, the only separation being based on
2544-444: The stretch reflex (i.e., rigidity and spasticity) where negative symptoms include those of insufficient muscle activity (i.e. weakness ) and reduced motor function. Often the two classifications are thought to be separate entities of a disorder; however, some authors propose that they may be closely related. Hypertonia is caused by upper motor neuron lesions which may result from injury, disease, or conditions that involve damage to
2597-411: The three most commonly used pharmacologic agents in the treatment of spastic hypertonia. Baclofen is generally the drug of choice for spinal cord types of spasticity, while sodium dantrolene is the only agent which acts directly on muscle tissue. Tizanidine is also available. Phenytoin with chlorpromazine may be potentially useful if sedation does not limit their use. Ketazolam , not yet available in
2650-409: The three most important pursuits of a strong man in nomadic society. Alongside these sporting events there are other cultural activities such as dances and parades. Since the establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences and participating countries or communities. These affiliations include: The first modern multi-sport event organised were
2703-404: The three-person event is based on a functional points system with low points for severely disabled athletes rising by scale to high points for less disabled athletes. A classification committee evaluates each sailor and assign a point from one to seven based on their level of ability. Each crew of three is allowed a maximum of 14 points. The single-person event can be crewed regardless of points, but
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#17327718568022756-760: Was established, such as the Far Eastern Championship Games (1913), the Central American and Caribbean Games (1926) or the Pan American Games (1951). The Olympic Games are still the largest multi-sport event in the world in terms of worldwide interest and importance (though no longer in participation), but several others also have significance. Other Games are intended for handicapped or disabled athletes. The International Silent Games , first held in Paris in 1924, were
2809-418: Was the top-ranking (medals) nation for eight Paralympic Summer Games: 1964 , 1968 , 1976 , 1980 , 1984 , 1988 , 1992 and 1996 . China was the top-ranking nation for the six most recent Games, 2004 , 2008 , 2012 , 2016 , 2020 and 2024 . Three other countries managed to achieve this position at least once: Italy ( 1960 ), Germany ( 1972 ) and Australia ( 2000 ). Qualification rules for each of
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