Venezuela at the Paralympics
Encyclopedia
Venezuela
made its Paralympic Games
début at the 1984 Summer Paralympics
in Stoke Mandeville
and New York
, sending five competitors in athletics and one in swimming. Absent from the Games in 1988, it returned in 1992, and has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then. Venezuela has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Although never a major medal contender, Venezuela has improved its medal intake over time. Having won no medals in 1984 or 1996, a single bronze in 1992 (Yolmer Urdaneta's in the men's discus) and a single bronze also in 2000 (Ricardo Santana
's in the men's 200m T13 in athletics), it achieved its first silver (Santana in the 100m) and five bronze in 2004. The country's first -and so far only- Paralympic gold medal was won in 2008 by Naomi Soazo
in the women's up to 63kg in judo. 2008 marked Venezuela's highest achievement to date, with one gold, four silver, and two bronze.
The country's medal tally following the 2008 Games places it 92nd on the all-time Paralympic Games medal table
.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
made its Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
début at the 1984 Summer Paralympics
1984 Summer Paralympics
The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the seventh Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in two separate locations, Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom and in the Mitchel Athletic Complex and Hofstra University in Long Island, New York, United States of America The 1984 Summer Paralympics were the...
in Stoke Mandeville
Stoke Mandeville
Stoke Mandeville is a village and also a civil parish within Aylesbury Vale district to the south-east of Aylesbury in the county of Buckinghamshire, England. Although a separate civil parish, the village falls within the Aylesbury Urban Area...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, sending five competitors in athletics and one in swimming. Absent from the Games in 1988, it returned in 1992, and has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics since then. Venezuela has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Although never a major medal contender, Venezuela has improved its medal intake over time. Having won no medals in 1984 or 1996, a single bronze in 1992 (Yolmer Urdaneta's in the men's discus) and a single bronze also in 2000 (Ricardo Santana
Ricardo Santana
Ricardo Santana is a Paralympian athlete from Venezuela competing mainly in category T12 sprint events.Ricardo has competed and medalled at three Paralympics. His first was in Sydney in 2000 where having competed in the T13 100m and 400m he picked up a bronze medal in the T13 200m...
's in the men's 200m T13 in athletics), it achieved its first silver (Santana in the 100m) and five bronze in 2004. The country's first -and so far only- Paralympic gold medal was won in 2008 by Naomi Soazo
Naomi Soazo
Naomi Soazo is a Venezuelan judoka. She competes in judo events for the visually impaired and blind.Soazo has competed in a number of international events, such as the International Blind Sports Federation World Championships, but is best known for being the only Venezuelan, in any sport, to have...
in the women's up to 63kg in judo. 2008 marked Venezuela's highest achievement to date, with one gold, four silver, and two bronze.
The country's medal tally following the 2008 Games places it 92nd on the all-time Paralympic Games medal table
All-time Paralympic Games medal table
An all-time medal table for all Paralympic Games from 1960 to 2008 Summer Paralympic Games and 1976 to 2010 Winter Paralympic Games is tabulated below....
.