London 2012 Paralympic Games

London 2012 Paralympic Games. They are the fourteenth Paralympic Games to be held in the summer of 2012 from August 29 to September 9 in the capital of the United Kingdom . The program has 20 sports . Giant screens have been installed in the center of the city so that the population can see live the free sports activities, including the Marathon. They will be the first Olympics in which the organization of the Olympic and Paralympic games has been fully integrated. 4,200 athletes from 160 countries are expected and 471 events are scheduled. About 80,000 spectators participated in the opening.

Summary

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• 1 History
• 2 Classification system
• 3 Pets
• 4 Venues
  • 1 Olympic Complex
  • 2 Olympic Park
  • 3 The Olympic Village
  • 4 River Zone
  • 5 Central Zone
  • 6 London surroundings
  • 7 Outside London
• 5 Sports facilities by sports
• 6 Medal table by countries
• 7 Related Links
• 8 References
• 9 External links
• 10 Sources

History

Ludwig Guttmann , a German neurologist, was the initiator of the Paralympic Games who organized a sports competition for soldiers wounded in World War II at Stoke Mandeville Hospital , Buckinghamshire, UK , in 1948 . In 1949 he expresses “perhaps one day there will be the Olympics for the disabled” and it is 1952 , when Dutch athletes participate alongside the British, that the first international games for athletes with disabilities take place.

They are considered the second largest sporting event in the world after the Olympics. In 1952 130 athletes from two countries participated. In 1960, 400 athletes from 23 countries competed and medals were awarded in 57 disciplines, with Great Britain coming second after Italy. Rome , in 1960 , was the first host city to use the Olympic facilities for the Paralympic Games. 5,000 spectators attended the Opening Ceremony.

In the Olympic Games of Atlanta 1996 first they participated athletes from more than one hundred countries, when three thousand 259 of 104 nations gathered. His memoirs indicate that it was the contest of the primacies since 289 records of the world and 508 were implanted for these conflicts. The hosts dominated the medal table with 46 gold, 46 silver and 65 bronze, followed by Australia (42-37-27) and Germany (40-58-51). One of the highlights was the Australian Louise Sauvage , winner of the wheelchair racing events at distances of 400, 800, 1,500 and 5,000 meters. ^[1]

In the 2012 games , 4,200 athletes from 160 countries will participate and 471 events are scheduled; as well as in the opening act of August 29 it is estimated that 80,000 spectators will be present.

Classification system

The tests of athletes with some degree of disability are based on a classification system that is as fair as possible, taking into account the degree of affectation of the athlete, weighing, etc., similar to that used in boxing .

Pets

Wenlock and Mandeville, official mascots of the Olympics. London 2012

Wenlock and Mandeville are the official mascots of the Paralympic Games of London 2012 . Designed by the Iris Design company . According to data provided by Michael Morpurgo , who is the author. They were built with the last drops of steel left over from the construction of the last support beam of the Olympic Stadium ; This beautiful story has liked the population; to color the metal , they have used the colors orange , blue , and pink , being inspired by the animated film “De unArco Iris ”, which is based on the writer of children’s stories Michael Morpugo .

The names of the mascots are related to two important British localities within the Olympism. The Wenlock name is based on the town of Much Wenlock , located in the county of Shropshire , where the Wenlock Games took place , one of the inspirations of Baron Pierre de Coubertin , founder of the modern Olympic Games. As for the name of the mascot of the Paralympic Games it comes from the name of a hospital, Stoke Mandeville Hospital (located in Buckinghamshire), founded by Dr. Ludwig Guttmann , who devised a totally revolutionary therapy for Rehabilitationof soldiers arriving with spinal cord injuries . Therapy that evolved until the creation of the Stoke Mandeville Games, predecessors of the Paralympic Games. Among the features of pets, there are details that are reminiscent of the English capital, for example, lights colored yellow seen in the heads, are related to the typical black taxis that roam the city.

Venues

It will consist of facilities that facilitate access and movement of people living with a physical disability, be it visual impairment or psychomotor or hearing impairment, among others.

Olympic complex

The Olympic Park is one of the most important facilities, it is located to the east of London . The London Olympic Complex is divided into three main zones: the Olympic Park, the River Zone and the Central Zone. Various pre-existing complexes in the Outskirts and Surroundings of London will also be used .

Olympic park

It is located in Stratford , east of London. It has been built in an industrial zone, seven minutes from the city center. In this area will be located:

• The Olympic Stadium, which will host the athletics events and the opening and closing ceremonies.
• The London Aquatics Center, home to diving, swimming , synchronized swimming and water polo competitions .
• The Velopark, which will include a covered velodrome for track cycling competitions and a BMX circuit.
• The Olympic Hockey Center , which will host the competitions of this sport.

Four covered pavilions, in which the competitions of basketball, fencing, volleyball, handball, and the fencing and shooting disciplines of the modern pentathlon will be held.

• Hall 1 – volleyball
• Hall 2 – Basketball , Modern Pentathlon
• Hall 3 – handball
• Hall 4 – fencing

The Olympic Village

The Olympic Village is the residence of most of the athletes, coaches and support personnel of the games, as well as the Main Press Center (MPC) and the International Radio and Television Center (IBC).

River Zone

The River Zone will host five main venues in the River Thames area .

• The ExCeL Exhibition Center, for boxing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, weightlifting , and wrestling.
• The Millennium Dome, for gymnastics and the final round of basketball.
• The Greenwich Arena, for badminton and rhythmic gymnastics
• Greenwich Park, for horse riding competitions .
• The Royal Artillery Barracks, for the shooting .

Central zone

• The new Wembley Stadium will host the football finals.
• Wimbledon will host the tennis competitions.
• Lord’s Cricket Ground for archery.
• Regent’s Park will host road biking events.
• Horse Guards Parade for Beach Volleyball .
• Hyde Park will host the Triathlon .

London surroundings

• Weald Country Park, Essex. Mountain Bike tests will be carried out .
• The Canoeing Canal at Broxbourne, Hertfordshire will host the canoeing events, along with Eton Dorney, located near Windsor, will host the rowing competitions .

Outside london

• Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, in Dorset on the south coast of England , will be used for the sailing events .

Additionally, the first phases of the 5 and 7 football competitions will take place in the following stadiums:

• Hampden Park in Glasgow .
• Millennium Stadium in Cardiff .
• Old Trafford in Manchester .
• St James’ Park in Newcastle and
• Villa Park in Birmingham .

Sports facilities for sports

Of the twenty Paralympic sports, nine will be played in the London Olympic Park which was specially built for the London 2012 Olympics and the Paralympics. These are:

• Athletics
• Track cycling
• Soccer 5 and 7
• Goalball
• Swimming
• Fencing in chair wheel
• Wheelchair rugby
• Tennis Wheelchair
• Archery

The ExCeL Exhibition Center will host six more sports:

• Wheelchair basketball
• Boccia
• Weightlifting
• Judo
• Table tennis
• Sitting volleyball

Shooting events will take place at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich and road cycling at Regent’s Park in central London. The Grenwich Park will host events riding and Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy those of sailing .

Olympic Stadium

It will be the fundamental center of the Olympics, in which the opening and closing will take place; during all competition days the cauldron will be kept lit.

Water park

The London Aquatic Center, the Velopark, the Olympic Hockey Center , four multifunctional indoor pavilions, the Press Center and the International Radio and Television Center .

Another of the venues for these games is the River Zone. As the name itself indicates, the sports disciplines involved will take place in sports complexes located on the banks or very close to the River Thames that passes through the capital of the United Kingdom.

Medal table by countries