Special Olympics World Games
Special Olympics World Games | |
---|---|
The crowd at the Special Olympics World Games Opening Ceremonies in Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland, 2003 | |
Status | Active |
Genre | Sporting event |
Date(s) | Various |
Frequency | Every two years |
Country | Various |
Inaugurated |
1968 1977 (winter) | (summer)
![](../I/m/Shanghai_2007_Special_Olympics_Mascot.jpg)
The Special Olympics World Games are an international sporting competition for athletes with intellectual disabilities, organized by the IOC-recognised Special Olympics organisation.
Principles
Although local Special Olympics events and competitions are held around the world every day, the World Games are flagship events. The goal is to showcase the skills and accomplishments of people with intellectual disabilities on a global stage.[1] The World Games feature more than a week of competitions involving thousands of athletes. Through media coverage of the Games, the stories and achievements of children and adults with intellectual disabilities are made known to millions of people worldwide.[1]
Special Olympics World Games take place every two years and alternate between Summer and Winter Games, a schedule similar to the Olympics and Paralympics. Attracting as many as 350,000 volunteers and coaches, plus several thousands of athletes, these World Games can be the world's largest sporting event of the year.[1][2]
Special Olympics athletes can compete in 32 Olympic-style summer or winter sports. The athletes are adults and children with intellectual disabilities who can range from gifted, world-class competitors to average athletes to those with limited physical ability. It's a fundamental rule of Special Olympics competitions that athletes are matched up according to their ability and age. This “divisioning” process is an effort to make every competition fair, competitive and exciting for athletes as well as fans.[3]
History
The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, US, in 1968, while the first International Special Olympics Winter Games were held in February 1977 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, US. In 1991, the name was officially changed from International Special Olympics Summer/Winter Games to Special Olympics World Summer/Winter Games.[4]
In 2011, Special Olympics World Summer Games were held on June 25 – July 4 in Athens, Greece, involving 6,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 170 countries.[2]
The most recent Special Olympics World Winter Games were held in PyeongChang, South Korea from Jan. 29 – Feb. 5, 2013.The Host Town program, in which families host Special Olympics athletes from around the world to help them acclimate to the host country and customs, began on Jan. 26, 2013.[5]
The most recent 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games were held in Los Angeles, California from July 25 – Aug. 2, 2015.[6] These games were the first Special Olympics World Summer Games held in the United States in 16 years since the 1999 Summer Games held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The next World Winter Games will be the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz and Schladming in Styria, Austria. This marks a return: Salzburg and Schladming, Austria hosted the fifth Special Olympics World Winter Games in 1993. These were the first Special Olympics World Games held outside the United States. The 2017 World Winter Games will be held March 14-March 25, 2017. [7]
Hosts
Year | Summer Special Olympics World Games | Winter Special Olympics World Games | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Host | Date(s) | No. | Host | Date(s) | |
1968 | 1 | ![]() | July 20 – August 3 | |||
1970 | 2 | ![]() | August 13 – 15 | |||
1972 | 3 | ![]() | August 13 – 18 | |||
1975 | 4 | ![]() | August 8 – 13 | |||
1977 | 1 | ![]() | February 5 – 11 | |||
1979 | 5 | ![]() | August 8 – 13 | |||
1981 | 2 | ![]() | March 8 – 13 | |||
1983 | 6 | ![]() | July 12 – 18 | |||
1985 | 3 | ![]() | March 24 – 29 | |||
1987 | 7 | ![]() | July 31 – August 1 | |||
1989 | 4 | ![]() | April 1 – 8 | |||
1991 | 8 | ![]() | July 19 – 27 | |||
1993 | 5 | ![]() | March 20 – 27 | |||
1995 | 9 | ![]() | July 1 – 9 | |||
1997 | 6 | ![]() | February 1 – 8 | |||
1999 | 10 | ![]() | June 26 – July 4 | |||
2001 | 7 | ![]() | March 4 – 11 | |||
2003 | 11 | ![]() | June 21 – 29 | |||
2005 | 8 | ![]() | February 26 – March 4 | |||
2007 | 12 | ![]() | October 2 – 11 | |||
2009 | 9 | ![]() | February 6 – 13 | |||
2011 | 13 | ![]() | June 25 – July 4 | |||
2013 | 10 | ![]() | January 29 – February 5 | |||
2015 | 14 | ![]() | July 25 – August 2 | |||
2017 | 11 | ![]() | March 14 – 25 | |||
2019 | 15 | ![]() | March 14 – 21 |
Official Summer Sports
- See footnote[10]
- Athletics (Track and Field)
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Bocce
- Bowling
- Cycling
- Equestrian
- Football (Soccer)
- Golf
- Gymnastics-Artistic and Rhythmic
- Handball
- Judo
- Powerlifting
- Roller Skating
- Sailing
- Softball
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Tennis
- Volleyball
Official Winter Sports
- See footnote[10]
Recognized Sports
Demonstration Sports
- Stick Shooting
Regional games
Asia Pacific Games
In 2013, Australia hosted the first ever Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games.[11]
See also
- Ancient Olympic Games
- Deaflympics
- Flame of Hope (Special Olympics)
- Camp Shriver
- Special Olympics USA National Games
References
- 1 2 3 "Special Olympics: World Games Overview". specialolympics.org.
- 1 2 http://www.athens2011.org/en/games_info.asp
- ↑ "Special Olympics: About Competitions Results Schedules". specialolympics.org.
- ↑ "Special Olympics: History of Special Olympics". specialolympics.org.
- ↑ "Welcome World Winter Games PyeongChang 2013". 2013sopoc.org. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ↑ "Special Olympics World Summer Games – Los Angeles 2015". La2015.org. Retrieved 2012-08-16.
- ↑ Austria to host 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games. October 12, 2012. Special Olympics official website. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
- ↑ "2009 Special Olympics To Take Place In Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina". GamesBid.com. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ↑ McLaughlin, Micah (June 14, 2006). "Special Olympics come to Idaho in 2009". The Arbiter. The Arbiter. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- 1 2 Sports & Games. Special Olympics official website. Retrieved 2014-06-21.
- ↑ Asia Pacific Games / Newcastle 2013. Special Olympics official website. Retrieved 2014-06-21.