1976 Summer Paralympics
Encyclopedia
The 1976 Summer Paralympics were the fifth Paralympic Games
to be held. They were held in Toronto
, in the province of Ontario
, Canada
from August 3 to 11, 1976. They were originally known as the Torontolympiad.
This marked the first time that Canada hosted the Summer Paralympics, which has now been followed by Canada's first Winter Paralympics, the 2010 Winter Paralympics
in Vancouver
.
The 1976 Summer Olympics were also hosted by Canada, in Montreal.
.
There was no athletes village, so the athletes were housed at York University
(Keele campus), University of Toronto
(Erindale?) and the CNIB (national headquarters in Toronto). Closing ceremonies and outdoor events (mainly track and field
) took place at Centennial Park Stadium
. Centennial Gymnasium and Centennial Park's Olympic Pool were the other venues (for indoor and swimming events respectively).
athletes. Within the sport of athletics, new wheelchair racing distances of 200 m, 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m were added. Shooting and goalball
, both previously demonstration events
, were included as official medal sports.
by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation, Canada, is highlighted.
South Africa
was competing at the Paralympics for the fourth time. Although banned from the Olympic Games due to its policy of apartheid, it was not banned from the Paralympics until 1980, and Canada, as host country, did not object to its participation. These were, however, to be its last Paralympics before the dismantling of apartheid; The Netherlands
, as hosts of the 1980 Games
, declared South Africa's further participation "undesirable".
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...
to be held. They were held in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, in the province of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
from August 3 to 11, 1976. They were originally known as the Torontolympiad.
This marked the first time that Canada hosted the Summer Paralympics, which has now been followed by Canada's first Winter Paralympics, the 2010 Winter Paralympics
2010 Winter Paralympics
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
The 1976 Summer Olympics were also hosted by Canada, in Montreal.
Opening Ceremonies, Venues and Closing Ceremonies
The opening of the 1976 games were held at Woodbine Race Track in north EtobicokeEtobicoke, Ontario
Etobicoke is a dissolved municipality located within the current city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the western section of the current city, it had an official population of 338,117 as measured by the 2001 Census and 334,491 people as of the 2006 Census. While it only contains 13% of...
.
There was no athletes village, so the athletes were housed at York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
(Keele campus), University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
(Erindale?) and the CNIB (national headquarters in Toronto). Closing ceremonies and outdoor events (mainly track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
) took place at Centennial Park Stadium
Centennial Park Stadium
The Centennial Park Stadium is a 2,200 seat capacity stadium in Etobicoke, Ontario, that is primarily used for soccer, track and field, football and occasionally for kabbadi. It is located within Centennial Park ....
. Centennial Gymnasium and Centennial Park's Olympic Pool were the other venues (for indoor and swimming events respectively).
Sports
At the 1976 games, amputees and visually impaired athletes competed for the first time; previous editions of the Paralympic Games had included only wheelchairWheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
athletes. Within the sport of athletics, new wheelchair racing distances of 200 m, 400 m, 800 m and 1500 m were added. Shooting and goalball
Goalball
Goalball is a team sport designed for blind athletes. It was devised by Hanz Lorenzen , and Sepp Reindle , in 1946 in an effort to help in the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans...
, both previously demonstration events
Demonstration 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...
, were included as official medal sports.
- ArcheryArchery at the 1976 Summer Paralympics- Men's events :- Women's events :...
- AthleticsAthletics at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsAthletics at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of 207 events.- Men's events :- Women's events :...
- DartcheryDartchery at the 1976 Summer Paralympics- Medal summary :...
- GoalballGoalball at the 1976 Summer Paralympics- Medal summary :...
- Lawn bowlsLawn bowls at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsLawn bowls at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of sixteen events, twelve for men and four for women.- Men's events :- Women's events :...
- ShootingShooting at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsShooting at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of three rifle events.- Medal summary :...
- SnookerSnooker at the 1976 Summer Paralympics- Medal summary :...
- SwimmingSwimming at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsSwimming at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of 146 events.- Men's events :- Women's events :...
- Table tennisTable tennis at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsTable tennis at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of 28 events, 17 for men and 11 for women.- Men's events :- Women's events :...
- VolleyballVolleyball at the 1976 Summer Paralympics- Medal summary :...
- WeightliftingWeightlifting at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsWeightlifting at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of six events for men.- Medal summary :- References :...
- Wheelchair basketballWheelchair basketball at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsWheelchair basketball at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of men's and women's team events.- Medal summary :- References :...
- Wheelchair fencingWheelchair fencing at the 1976 Summer ParalympicsWheelchair fencing at the 1976 Summer Paralympics consisted of fourteen events, ten for men and four for women.- Men's events :- Women's events :- References :...
Medal table
The top 10 NPCsNational Paralympic Committee
National Paralympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Paralympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Paralympic Committee , they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Paralympic Games.The Paralympic Games are a major...
by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation, Canada, is highlighted.
| 1 | align=left | |66 | 44 | 45 | 155 |
| 2 | align=left | |45 | 25 | 14 | 84 |
| 3 | align=left | |40 | 13 | 16 | 69 |
| 4 | align=left | |37 | 34 | 26 | 97 |
| 5 | align=left | |29 | 29 | 36 | 94 |
| 6 | align=left | |25 | 26 | 26 | 77 |
| 7 | align=left | |24 | 17 | 12 | 53 |
| 8 | align=left | |23 | 21 | 14 | 58 |
| 9 | align=left | |22 | 27 | 24 | 73 |
| 10 | align=left | |17 | 16 | 17 | 50 |
Participating delegations
Forty delegations took part in the Toronto Paralympics.South Africa
South Africa at the Paralympics
South Africa has competed at both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.The country made its Paralympic début at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan, where it sent nine athletes to compete in archery, athletics, swimming and weightlifting. They finished sixth on the medal table with nineteen...
was competing at the Paralympics for the fourth time. Although banned from the Olympic Games due to its policy of apartheid, it was not banned from the Paralympics until 1980, and Canada, as host country, did not object to its participation. These were, however, to be its last Paralympics before the dismantling of apartheid; The Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, as hosts of the 1980 Games
1980 Summer Paralympics
The 1980 Summer Paralympics were the sixth Paralympic Games. They were held in Papendal, close to the host city of Arnhem, Netherlands, from June 21 to 30, 1980.- Sports :...
, declared South Africa's further participation "undesirable".
See also
- Canada at the ParalympicsCanada at the ParalympicsCanada has participated eleven times in the Summer Paralympic Games and in all Winter Paralympic Games. They first competed at the Summer Games in 1968 and the Winter Games in 1976.-Milestones:...
- World Paralympiads in Canada
- 1976 Summer Paralympics – TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
- 2010 Winter Paralympics2010 Winter ParalympicsThe 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler...
– VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
—WhistlerWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
- 1976 Summer Paralympics – Toronto
- 1976 Winter Paralympics1976 Winter ParalympicsThe 1976 Winter Paralympic Games were the first Winter Paralympics. They were held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden from 21 to 28 February 1976. The disabilities included in this paralympics were blindness and amputees. Sixteen countries took part with 198 athletes...
- 1976 Summer Olympics1976 Summer OlympicsThe 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...