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.
52-525: The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports . The event includes athletes with mobility impairments , amputations , blindness , and cerebral palsy . The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter Olympic Games and (since 1992) hosted in the same city. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) oversees
104-522: A few months after their respective declarations of independence from Yugoslavia ). Through the 2022 Winter Olympics , this has been the only participation of Swaziland (now Eswatini) and Honduras in an edition of the Winter Olympics. The 1992 Games are the last in which the speed skating venue was outdoors. ( Host nation is highlighted. ) * Host nation ( France ) ( combined team with athletes from 6 nations of
156-1024: 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
208-538: A parallel Olympics was held in Rome after the 1960 Summer Olympics . Over 400 wheelchair athletes competed at the 1960 Paralympic Games , which became known as the first Paralympics. Sepp Zwicknagl, a pioneer of snow sports for disabled athletes, was a double-leg amputee Austrian skier who experimented skiing using prosthetics. His work helped pioneer technological advances for people with disabilities who wished to participate in winter sports. Advances were slow, and it
260-400: A physical impairment and three divisions are for athletes with a visual impairment. The athletes compete together, and their finishing times are entered into a formula with their disability class to determine the athletes' overall finish order. Visually impaired athletes are able to compete through the use of acoustic signals. The signal intensity varies depending upon whether or not the athlete
312-409: A prosthesis. The events were held in a time trial format, but no accommodation was made based on an athlete's level of impairment. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics , the number of events increased from 2 to 10 with the split of the lower limb classifications into two sub-groups (LL-1 for greater impairment and LL-2 for lesser impairment), and the addition of the banked slalom . The snowboard cross event
364-544: A rule change implemented in 1986, this was the last edition in the history of the Winter Olympic Games in which all speed skating events were held in an open-air venue. A record-breaking seven locations bid for the games. The non-winning bids were from Anchorage, Berchtesgaden, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Falun, Lillehammer, and Sofia. The 91st IOC Session , held in Lausanne on 17 October 1986, voted Albertville
416-659: 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
468-438: A spike-end for pushing and a blade-end for shooting. The athletes are classified into three groups: group 1 is for athletes with no sitting balance or with major impairment in both upper and lower limbs, group 2 is for athletes with some sitting balance and moderate impairment in their extremities and athletes in group 3 have good balance and mild impairment in their upper and lower limbs. Wheelchair curling : Wheelchair curling
520-587: A wheelchair for daily mobility. Para-snowboarding : On 2 May 2012, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) officially sanctioned "para-snowboarding" (commonly known as adaptive snowboarding ) as a medal event in the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games under Alpine Skiing. There were men's and women's standing snowboard cross competitions. The sport's Paralympic debut featured events for only athletes with overall lower-limb impairments. Athletes with amputations were permitted to wear
572-408: Is a coed team event for athletes with permanent lower limb disabilities that require them to use a wheelchair in their daily lives. Athletes with Cerebral Palsy or Multiple Sclerosis can also play if they use a wheelchair. Delivery of the stone can be by hand release or the use of a pole. There are no classifications in this event except the requirement that all athletes participating must have need for
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#1732776264244624-442: Is on target. Cross-country skiing : Cross-country skiing, also known as Nordic skiing, is open to athletes with Cerebral Palsy, amputations, the need for a wheelchair, visual impairment and intellectual impairment. There are fifteen classifications, three for visually impaired athletes, nine for standing athletes and three for seated athletes. The divisions are determined in a similar fashion to alpine skiing with attention given to
676-598: Is painless to the athlete but affects the body and impacts the athlete's blood pressure, as can techniques like allowing the bladder to overfill. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) found evidence that the Disappearing Positive Methodology was in operation at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi. On 7 August 2016, the IPC's Governing Board voted unanimously to ban the entire Russian team from
728-486: Is technically now included in this category, though competition will take place with only limited classifications (see below). Biathlon : Biathlon is a combination of cross-country skiing with target shooting. It requires physical stamina and accurate shooting. The events are open to athletes with physical disabilities and visual impairments. There are fifteen classes in which athletes will be placed depending on their level of function. Twelve divisions are for athletes with
780-453: Is the technique of boosting blood pressure, known as autonomic dysreflexia . The increase in blood pressure can improve performance by 15% and is most effective in the endurance sports such as cross-country skiing . To increase blood pressure athletes will deliberately cause trauma to limbs below a spinal injury. This trauma can include breaking bones, strapping extremities in too tightly and using high-pressured compression stockings. The injury
832-614: The 1992 Summer Paralympics ). Yugoslav athletes returned to the Olympic Games in the 1996 Summer Olympics , when only Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo were still part of the country. The 1992 Winter Olympics were the first time since the 1964 Summer Olympics that Germany competed with a unified team. Seven National Olympic Committees sent their first delegations to the Winter Olympics: Algeria, Bermuda, Brazil, Honduras, Ireland, Swaziland, Croatia, and Slovenia (the last two making their first appearances at any Olympics, just
884-732: The 2016 Summer Paralympics , citing the Russian Paralympic Committee's inability to enforce the IPC's Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Code which is "a fundamental constitutional requirement". IPC President Sir Philip Craven stated that the Russian government had "catastrophically failed its Para athletes". IPC Athletes' Council Chairperson Todd Nicholson said that Russia had used athletes as "pawns" in order to "show global prowess". The IPC has established six disability categories applying to both
936-515: The 500 m and 1000 m speed skating events, and Gunda Niemann took both of the longest races. Three National Olympic Committees in Asia-Pacific region won their first medals at the Winter Olympics, one in a sport making its debut at the Games ( short track speed skating .) Kim Ki-hoon 's gold medal in 1000 m short track speed skating signified South Korea 's first medal in
988-622: 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
1040-526: The Unified Team , representing the non-Baltic former Soviet republics , and Germany , newly consolidated again as a team following the reunification of the former East and West Germany in 1990. The event also saw the debut of eight nations in the Winter Olympics. The Winter Olympic program has grown this time with the addition of 11 new events. While sports that were already on the program received 5 new events (2 new events in cross-country skiing, at
1092-691: 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
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#17327762642441144-514: The XVI Olympic Winter Games ( French : XVI Jeux Olympiques d'hiver ) and commonly known as Albertville '92 ( Arpitan : Arbèrtvile '92 ), were a winter multi-sport event held from 8 to 23 February 1992 in and around Albertville , France. Albertville won the bid to host the Winter Olympics in 1986, beating Sofia , Falun , Lillehammer , Cortina d'Ampezzo , Anchorage , and Berchtesgaden . The 1992 Winter Olympics were
1196-539: The 1992 Olympics, including seven nations making their first appearance at a Winter Olympics. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, six former-Soviet bloc nations chose to form a Unified Team , while the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania competed as independent nations for the first time since 1936. Czechoslovakia made its last appearance in the Winter Olympics before its dissolution at
1248-570: The Games. Medals are awarded in each event: with gold for first place, silver for second, and bronze for third, following the tradition that the Olympic Games began in 1904. The Winter Paralympics began in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik , Sweden. Those Games were the first Paralympics that featured athletes other than those in wheelchairs. The Games have expanded and grown, including the Summer Paralympic Games , to become part of
1300-633: The LL-2 class. A number of different sports have been part of the Paralympic program at one point or another. According to official data of the International Paralympic Committee . This table lists the top 20 nations, as ranked by number of golds, then silvers, then bronzes. 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
1352-596: 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
1404-846: The Summer and Winter Paralympics. Athletes with one of these physical disabilities are able to compete in the Paralympics though not every sport can allow for every disability category. Within the six disability categories the athletes still need to be divided according to their level of impairment. The classification systems differ from sport to sport. The systems are designed to open up Paralympic sports to as many athletes as possible, who can participate in fair competitions against athletes with similar levels of ability. The closest equivalents in non-disabled competitions are age classifications in junior sports, and weight divisions in wrestling, boxing, and weightlifting. Classifications vary in accordance with
1456-412: The Winter Olympics program. Of the 8 events that were under evaluation, 4 received the endorsement to be included in an official form in future editions of the Games ( Curling tournaments and the aerials events on the freestyle skiing ). The other four events (speed skiing and skiing ballet events on the freestyle skiing) were rejected and have not since returned. Sixty-four nations sent competitors to
1508-467: The Winter Olympics, while Ye Qiaobo 's silver medal in women's 500 m speed skating represented China 's first Winter Olympics medal. Annelise Coberger from New Zealand became the first Oceanian athlete to win a medal in women's alpine skiing slalom , making her the first athlete from the southern hemisphere to mount the podium at the Winter Games. Swiss speed skier Nicolas Bochatay died on
1560-399: The athletes' level of function and need for assistive devices. Ice Sledge Hockey : Ice sledge hockey is open only to male competitors with a physical disability in the lower part of their body. The game is played using international hockey rules with some modifications. Athletes sit on sledges with two blades that allow the puck to go beneath the sledge. They also use two sticks, which have
1612-646: 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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1664-423: The cost and cost overrun of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics were US$ 2.5 billion and 13%, respectively, while the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics (the most costly Olympics to date) had costs and cost overrun at US$ 51 billion and 289%, respectively. The average cost for the Winter Games since 1960 is US$ 3.1 billion, while the average cost overrun is 142%. The 1992 Winter Games mascot , Magique (Magic),
1716-555: The different skills required to perform the sport. The biggest challenge in the classification system is how to account for the wide variety and severity of disabilities. As a result, there will always be a range of impairment within a classification. What follows is a list of the Winter Paralympic sports and a general description of how they are classified. Alpine skiing : There are two events in alpine skiing: slalom and giant slalom. Alpine skiing accommodates athletes with
1768-623: The end of 1992. United Nations Security Council Resolution 757 took effect on 30 May 1992 (97 days after the closing ceremonies), and Yugoslav athletes were able to participate under their country's national symbols. It also suspended the activities of the Yugoslav Olympic Committee , making the country's athletes ineligible to compete on the 1992 Summer Olympics . Despite this, some of their athletes classified in individual sports and gained authorization to compete as Independent Olympic Participants (which also happened at
1820-479: 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. 1992 Winter Olympics The 1992 Winter Olympics , officially known as
1872-407: The following physical limitations: spinal injury, Cerebral Palsy, amputation, Les Autres and blindness/visual impairment. There are eleven classifications, seven for standing athletes, three for sitting athletes, and three for visually impaired athletes. The divisions are defined by the degree of the athletes' function and the need for assistive equipment (prosthesis, ski poles, etc.). Snowboard Cross
1924-490: The host city and country or private investors to build, e.g., the competition venues, the Olympic village, international broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs were not included, e.g. road, rail, or airport infrastructure, or hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in preparation for the Games but not directly related to their staging. In comparison,
1976-430: The host of the Games. Bjørn Dæhlie and Vegard Ulvang dominated the men's cross-country skiing races, both taking home three gold medals with Norway taking a medal sweep in the event. 16-year-old Ski jumper Toni Nieminen became the youngest male gold medalist in a Winter Olympic event until 2002 . Petra Kronberger won both the combined event and the slalom of alpine skiing , while Bonnie Blair won both
2028-429: The largest international sporting event after the Olympics. Given their expansion, the need for a very specific classification system has arisen. This system has also given rise to controversy and opened the door for various forms of cheating, which has tainted the integrity of the Games. Norway has been the top-ranking (medals) nation for four Paralympic Winter Games: 1980 , 1988 , 1994 , and 1998 . Germany has been
2080-827: The last winter games held in the same year as the Summer Olympics . The Games were the fifth Olympic Games held in France and the country's third Winter Olympics, after the 1924 Winter Games in Chamonix and the 1968 Winter Games in Grenoble . This games was the first of two consecutive Olympic games to be held in Western Europe, preceding the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. 18 events in Figure skating , short track speed skating , speed skating , and
2132-471: The opening and closing ceremonies took place in Albertville. The 39 other events were held in the nearby 9 villages and resorts around Savoie : Courchevel , La Plagne , Les Arcs , Les Menuires , Les Saisies , Méribel , Pralognan-la-Vanoise , Tignes , and Val d'Isère . Sixty-four National Olympic Committees and 1,801 athletes participated in six sports and fifty-seven events . This included both
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2184-445: The outturn cost of the Albertville 1992 Winter Olympics at US$ 2.0 billion (in 2015-dollars) and cost overrun at 137% in real terms. This includes sports-related costs only, that is: (i) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee to stage the Games, e.g., expenditures for technology, transportation, workforce, administration, security, catering, ceremonies, and medical services; and (ii) direct capital costs incurred by
2236-548: The penultimate day of the Games, when he crashed into a snow-grooming vehicle during a training run. The 1992 Olympic Winter Games marked the last time both the Winter and Summer games were held in the same year. The 1992 Winter Olympics also marked the last time France hosted the Olympics until 2024 , when Paris become the second city to host the Summer Olympics three times. The Oxford Olympics Study established
2288-472: The same facilities as the Winter Olympics . Athletes have cheated by over-representing impairment to have a competitive advantage, and the use of performance-enhancing drugs. German skier Thomas Oelsner became the first Winter Paralympian to test positive for steroids in 2002 . He had won two gold medals in the alpine events but was stripped of his medals. One concern now facing Paralympic officials
2340-412: The same time women were allowed to compete in biathlon for the first time and won 3 events exclusive to them.) Another 6 events were added with the implementation of 2 sports that were demonstrated 4 years earlier (freestyle skiing and short track speed skating).These were the last Winter Olympics to include demonstration sports , consisting of curling , aerials and ski ballet , and speed skiing . Due to
2392-409: 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
2444-730: The top-ranking (medals) for three Paralympic Winter Games: 1976 , 2002 , and 2010 . Russia ( 2006 and 2014 ) and United States ( 1992 and 2018 ) have been the top-ranking nation two time each. Austria ( 1984 ) and China ( 2022 ) have been the top-ranking nation one time each. The origins of the Winter Paralympics are much similar to the Summer Paralympics . Injured soldiers returning from World War II sought sports as an avenue to healing. Organized by Dr. Ludwig Guttmann , sports competitions between British convalescent hospitals began in 1948 and continued until 1960 when
2496-494: Was a small imp in the shape of a star and a cube. The mascot was created by Philippe Mairesse and replaced the bid mascot, which was a mountain goat. The star shape symbolized dreams and imagination, while the mascot's red and blue colors originated from the French flag . There were 57 events contested in 6 sports (12 disciplines). See the medal winners, ordered by sport: This was the last time demonstration events were included in
2548-760: 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
2600-467: Was not until 1974 that the first official world ski competition for physically impaired athletes, featuring downhill and a cross-country skiing, was held. The first Winter Paralympics were held in 1976 at Örnsköldsvik , Sweden from February 21–28. Alpine and Nordic skiing for amputees and visually impaired athletes where the main events but ice sledge racing was included as a demonstration event. There were 198 participating athletes from 16 countries, and it
2652-570: Was run in a head-to-head format with multiple knockout heats to determine the medal winners. In 2022, events for athletes with upper-limb impairments were added, but the IPC eliminated the LL-1 category for women due to a dearth of athletes in that class. Those athletes were initially barred from competing at all until Brenna Huckaby of the United States prevailed in a lawsuit to "compete up" against
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#17327762642442704-560: Was the first time that athletes with impairments other than wheelchair athletes were permitted to compete. Starting in 1988 the Summer Paralympics were held in the same host city as the Summer Olympic Games . This was due to an agreement reached between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The 1992 Winter Paralympics were the first Winter Games to use
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