1996 Summer Paralympics
Encyclopedia
The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA
were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million.
It was the first Paralympic Games where International Sports Federation for Persons with an Intellectual Disability athletes were given full medal status.
for the Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta 1996 was Blaze.
Blaze is a phoenix
, a mythical bird that rises from ashes to experience a renewed life. The phoenix appears in Egyptian, Arabian, Chinese, Russian and native American folklore
and in all instances symbolizes strength, vision, inspiration and survival.
The phoenix was an ideal mascot for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and later for BlazeSports America, a nonprofit organization that is the direct legacy of the Games. The phoenix has long been the symbol of Atlanta’s rebirth after its devastation in the American Civil War
. But most importantly, it is the personification of the will, perseverance and determination of youth and adults with physical disability to achieve full and productive lives.
Blaze, with his bright colors, height and broad wing span, reflects the traits, identified in a focus group of athletes with disability, as those they believed best represented the drive to succeed of persons with physical disability who pursue sports as recreation and as a competitive endeavor.
Today, Blaze is the most recognizable symbol of disability sport in America.
s.
In the table below, the ranking sorts by the number of gold medals earned by the top ten nations (in this context a nation is an entity represented by a National Paralympic Committee). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
were held from 16 August to 25 August. It was the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship, and had a budget of USD $81 million.
It was the first Paralympic Games where International Sports Federation for Persons with an Intellectual Disability athletes were given full medal status.
Symbol and mascot of the games
The mascotMascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the Paralympic Summer Games in Atlanta 1996 was Blaze.
Blaze is a phoenix
Phoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
, a mythical bird that rises from ashes to experience a renewed life. The phoenix appears in Egyptian, Arabian, Chinese, Russian and native American folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
and in all instances symbolizes strength, vision, inspiration and survival.
The phoenix was an ideal mascot for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and later for BlazeSports America, a nonprofit organization that is the direct legacy of the Games. The phoenix has long been the symbol of Atlanta’s rebirth after its devastation in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. But most importantly, it is the personification of the will, perseverance and determination of youth and adults with physical disability to achieve full and productive lives.
Blaze, with his bright colors, height and broad wing span, reflects the traits, identified in a focus group of athletes with disability, as those they believed best represented the drive to succeed of persons with physical disability who pursue sports as recreation and as a competitive endeavor.
Today, Blaze is the most recognizable symbol of disability sport in America.
Sports
The games consisted of 508 events spread over twenty sports, including three demonstration sportDemonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
s.
- ArcheryArchery at the 1996 Summer Paralympics-Medal table:13 other countries also competed.- Medal summary :...
- AthleticsAthletics at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsAthletics at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 210 events, 155 for men and 55 for women.-Medal table:- Men's events :- Women's events :- References :...
- BocciaBoccia at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsBoccia at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of five events. All events were mixed, meaning that men and women competed together.-Medal table:The following countries also competed: - Medal summary :...
- CyclingCycling at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsCycling at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 23 events in two disciplines, road cycling and track cycling.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Road cycling :- Track cycling :...
- EquestrianEquestrian at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsEquestrian at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of nine events. All events were mixed, meaning that men and women competed together.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :...
- Football 7-a-side
- GoalballGoalball at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsGoalball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of men's and women's team events.- Medal summary :-Pictures:...
- JudoJudo at the 1996 Summer Paralympics-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :...
- Lawn bowlsLawn bowls at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsLawn bowls at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of eight events.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Medal summary :...
- PowerliftingPowerlifting at the 1996 Summer Paralympics-Medal table:Forty-five other counties also competed in this sport.- Medal summary :...
- SailingSailing at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsSailing at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of one event, mixed crewboat. Because sailing was being contested as a demonstration sport, and not an official part of the Paralympic program, but medals were awarded....
(demonstration sport, but medals awarded) - ShootingShooting at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsShooting at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 15 events.-Medal table:Twenty-four other countries also participated in this sport.- Medal summary :...
- SwimmingSwimming at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsSwimming at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 168 events, 87 for men and 81 for women. Because of a tie in the men's 100 m freestyle S4 event, a total of 169 bronze medals were awarded.-Medal table:...
- Table tennisTable tennis at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsTable tennis at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 28 events, 17 for men and 11 for women.-Medal table:The following five other countries also competed:- Men's events :- Women's events :...
- VolleyballVolleyball at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsVolleyball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of two events, men's standing and sitting volleyball.- Medal summary :...
- Wheelchair basketballWheelchair basketball at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsWheelchair basketball at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of men's and women's team events.- Medal summary :- References :...
- Wheelchair fencingWheelchair fencing at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsWheelchair fencing at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of 15 events, 9 for men and 6 for women.-Medal table:The following countries also competed:- Men's events :- Women's events :- References :...
- Wheelchair rugbyWheelchair rugby at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsWheelchair rugby at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of a mixed team event. Wheelchair rugby was being contested as a demonstration sport, and not an official part of the Paralympic program, but medals were awarded and stayed on medal table...
(demonstration sport, but medals awarded) - Wheelchair tennisWheelchair tennis at the 1996 Summer ParalympicsWheelchair tennis at the 1996 Summer Paralympics consisted of four events, singles and doubles competitions for men and women.- Medal summary :- References :...
Medal count
A total of 1577 medals were awarded during the Atlanta games: 518 gold, 517 silver, and 542 bronze. The host country, the United States, topped the medal count with more gold medals, more bronze medals, and more medals overall than any other nation. Germany took the most silver medals, with 58.In the table below, the ranking sorts by the number of gold medals earned by the top ten nations (in this context a nation is an entity represented by a National Paralympic Committee). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals.
| 1 | 47 | 47 | 68 | 162 | |
| 2 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 124 | |
| 3 | 42 | 37 | 27 | 106 | |
| 4 | 40 | 58 | 51 | 149 | |
| 5 | 39 | 31 | 36 | 106 | |
| 6 | 35 | 29 | 31 | 95 | |
| 7 | 24 | 26 | 24 | 74 | |
| 8 | 17 | 11 | 17 | 45 | |
| 9 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 39 | |
| 10 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 37 | |
| Total | 518 | 517 | 542 | 1577 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Participating delegations
One-hundred and four delegations participated in the Atlanta Paralympics.See also
- 1996 Summer Olympics1996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
- BlazeSports AmericaBlazeSports AmericaBlazeSports America is a national nonprofit 501 organization based in Atlanta,Georgia that provides sport and physical activity opportunities for youth and adults with physical disabilities.-History:...
, the legacy organization of the 1996 Paralympic Games