Germany at the Paralympics
Encyclopedia
Germany
(GER) participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960
in Rome
, where it sent a delegation of nine athletes. The country, since 1949 officially the Federal Republic of Germany
(FRG), was until 1990 also called West Germany
while the separate East German Democratic Republic
(GDR) existed, which was recognized by the IOC only after 1964. East German athletes, however, participated in the Paralympics
for the first and last time in 1984. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, athletes from all of Germany compete simply as Germany (GER) again.
Germany has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics, and has also taken part in every edition of the Winter Paralympics, from the first in 1976
. Germany was the host country of the 1972 Summer Paralympics
, in Heidelberg
.
Germany has won a total of 1587 Paralympic medals, of which 554 gold, 535 silver and 500 bronze. (And if one adds East Germany's tally, the total rises to 1591.) This is more than any country other than the United States
. The International Paralympic Committee
, however, maintains separate records for "Germany" (1960–64 and 1992–present) and "West Germany" (due to their separate IPC codes), giving West Germany a total of 873 medals, and Germany a total of 714. This places the "two countries" sixth and seventh, respectively, on the all-time Paralympic Games medal table
- behind the United States, Great Britain
, Canada
, France
and Australia
.
Germany has consistently been one of the world's strongest nations at the Paralympics. Prior to 2008, at the Summer Games, it had always been among the top ten on the medal tables, and was within the top three on six occasions. In 2008, it dropped to 11th place. At the Winter Games, Germany has always been among the top three, except in 1980 (7th) and 1984 (4th). It topped the medal table at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
(which it hosted), and the 1976
, 2002
and 2010 Winter Games
.
Among Germany's most successful Paralympians are
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
(GER) participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960
1960 Summer Paralympics
The 1960 Summer Paralympics, originally known as the 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, were the first international Paralympic Games, following on from the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. They were organised under the aegis of the International Stoke Mandeville Games...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where it sent a delegation of nine athletes. The country, since 1949 officially the Federal Republic of Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
(FRG), was until 1990 also called West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
while the separate East German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
(GDR) existed, which was recognized by the IOC only after 1964. East German athletes, however, participated in the Paralympics
East Germany at the Paralympics
The German Democratic Republic made its first and only Paralympic Games appearance at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York, where it entered four competitors in athletics. East Germany never took part in the Winter Paralympics...
for the first and last time in 1984. Following the reunification of Germany in 1990, athletes from all of Germany compete simply as Germany (GER) again.
Germany has participated in every edition of the Summer Paralympics, and has also taken part in every edition of the Winter Paralympics, from the first in 1976
1976 Winter Paralympics
The 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...
. Germany was the host country of the 1972 Summer Paralympics
1972 Summer Paralympics
The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.- Sports :As with previous Paralympics, the 1972 games were intended for wheelchair athletes only...
, in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
.
Germany has won a total of 1587 Paralympic medals, of which 554 gold, 535 silver and 500 bronze. (And if one adds East Germany's tally, the total rises to 1591.) This is more than any country other than the United States
United States at the Paralympics
The United States has participated in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. The United States has performed particularly well at the Summer Paralympic Games, but its performance at the Winter Games has also been impressive...
. The International Paralympic Committee
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
, however, maintains separate records for "Germany" (1960–64 and 1992–present) and "West Germany" (due to their separate IPC codes), giving West Germany a total of 873 medals, and Germany a total of 714. This places the "two countries" sixth and seventh, respectively, 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....
- behind the United States, Great Britain
Great Britain at the Paralympics
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has participated in every Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Britain has performed particularly well at the Summer Paralympic Games, consistently finishing between second and fifth on the medal tables - a slightly better performance than at...
, Canada
Canada at the Paralympics
Canada 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:...
, France
France at the Paralympics
France participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, and has taken part in every edition of the Summer and Winter Paralympics since then...
and Australia
Australia at the Paralympics
Australia has sent delegations to the Summer Paralympics since the first games in 1960, and to the Winter Paralympics since 1980, ....
.
Germany has consistently been one of the world's strongest nations at the Paralympics. Prior to 2008, at the Summer Games, it had always been among the top ten on the medal tables, and was within the top three on six occasions. In 2008, it dropped to 11th place. At the Winter Games, Germany has always been among the top three, except in 1980 (7th) and 1984 (4th). It topped the medal table at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
1972 Summer Paralympics
The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.- Sports :As with previous Paralympics, the 1972 games were intended for wheelchair athletes only...
(which it hosted), and the 1976
1976 Winter Paralympics
The 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...
, 2002
2002 Winter Paralympics
The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated....
and 2010 Winter Games
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...
.
Among Germany's most successful Paralympians are
- Reinhild MöllerReinhild MöllerReinhild Möller is a German former alpine ski racer.She is the only alpine skier to win 19 Paralympic medals. She has also won 4 Paralympic medals in athletics....
, winner of 19 medals (of which 16 gold) in alpine skiing, and 4 medals (of which 3 are gold) in athletics - Claudia Hengst: 25 medals (of which 13 gold) in swimming
- Gerd SchönfelderGerd SchönfelderGerd Schönfelder is a German alpine skier, one of the most decorated in history.He is a multiple Paralympic Champion. He won his first three gold medals at the 1992 Winter Paralympics...
: 17 medals (of which 12 gold) in alpine skiing - Frank HöfleFrank HöfleFrank Höfle is a disabled German biathlete and cross-country skier. He first participated in the Winter Paralympic Games in 1984 and won his first medal, a gold, in 1988. He has competed in every Winter Paralympics since then and has won a total of 21 medals, 13 of them gold...
: 17 medals (of which 10 gold) in cross-country skiing.
Medal tallies
These tallies include the results for both "Germany" and "West Germany". They do not include the four medals of East Germany at the ParalympicsEast Germany at the Paralympics
The German Democratic Republic made its first and only Paralympic Games appearance at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York, where it entered four competitors in athletics. East Germany never took part in the Winter Paralympics...
.
Summer Paralympics
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1960 Summer Paralympics 1960 Summer Paralympics The 1960 Summer Paralympics, originally known as the 9th Annual International Stoke Mandeville Games, were the first international Paralympic Games, following on from the Stoke Mandeville Games of 1948 and 1952. They were organised under the aegis of the International Stoke Mandeville Games... |
15 | 6 | 9 | 30 | 3rd |
1964 Summer Paralympics 1964 Summer Paralympics The 1964 Summer Paralympics, originally known as the 13th International Stoke Mandeville Games, were the 2nd Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Tokyo, Japan, they were the last Summer Paralympics to take place in the same city as the Summer Olympics until the 1988 Summer Paralympics... |
5 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 9th |
1968 Summer Paralympics 1968 Summer Paralympics The 1968 Summer Paralympics were the third Paralympic Games to be held. Organised under the guidance of the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation , they were known as the 17th International Stoke Mandeville Games at the time... |
12 | 12 | 11 | 35 | 6th |
1972 Summer Paralympics 1972 Summer Paralympics The 1972 Summer Paralympics, the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972.- Sports :As with previous Paralympics, the 1972 games were intended for wheelchair athletes only... |
28 | 17 | 22 | 67 | 1st |
1976 Summer Paralympics 1976 Summer Paralympics 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... |
37 | 34 | 26 | 97 | 4th |
1980 Summer Paralympics 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 :... |
67 | 48 | 46 | 161 | 3rd |
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... |
79 | 77 | 74 | 230 | 5th |
1988 Summer Paralympics 1988 Summer Paralympics The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" came into official use.- Sports :... |
76 | 66 | 51 | 193 | 2nd |
1992 Summer Paralympics 1992 Summer Paralympics The 1992 Summer Paralympics were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.- Sports :The games consisted of 487 events spread over fifteen sports. Powerlifting and weightlifting were considered to be a single sport... |
61 | 51 | 59 | 171 | 2nd |
1996 Summer Paralympics 1996 Summer Paralympics 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.... |
40 | 58 | 51 | 149 | 3rd |
2000 Summer Paralympics 2000 Summer Paralympics The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000... |
16 | 41 | 38 | 95 | 10th |
2004 Summer Paralympics 2004 Summer Paralympics The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as... |
19 | 28 | 31 | 78 | 8th |
2008 Summer Paralympics 2008 Summer Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games, the thirteenth Paralympics, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to September 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao.... |
14 | 25 | 20 | 59 | 11th |
Total | 433 | 425 | 399 | 1257 |
Winter Paralympics
Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | Ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1976 Winter Paralympics 1976 Winter Paralympics The 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... |
10 | 12 | 6 | 28 | 1st |
1980 Winter Paralympics 1980 Winter Paralympics The 1980 Winter Paralympic Games, the second Winter Paralympics, were held from 1 to 7 February 1980 in Geilo, Norway. Eighteen countries took part with 299 athletes. A demonstration event was held in sledge downhill racing. All classes of athletes with locomotor disabilities were able to... |
3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 7th |
1984 Winter Paralympics 1984 Winter Paralympics The 1984 Winter Paralympic Games, were the third Winter Paralympics. They were held from 14 to 20 January 1984 in Innsbruck, Austria. They were the first Winter Games organized by the International Co-ordinating Committee , which was formed on March 15, 1982 in Leysin, Switzerland. These Games were... |
10 | 14 | 10 | 34 | 4th |
1988 Winter Paralympics 1988 Winter Paralympics The 1988 Winter Paralympic Games, were the fourth Winter Paralympics, held again in Innsbruck, Austria. These were the last Winter Paralympics to be held in a separate location from the Winter Olympics. Beginning in 1992, the Olympics and the Paralympics were held in the same city or in an adjacent... |
9 | 11 | 10 | 30 | 3rd |
1992 Winter Paralympics 1992 Winter Paralympics The 1992 Winter Paralympics were the fifth Winter Paralympics. They were the first winter Paralympics to be celebrated concurrently with the Olympic Games. They were held in Tignes and Albertville, France, from March 25 to April 1, 1992... |
12 | 17 | 9 | 38 | 2nd |
1994 Winter Paralympics 1994 Winter Paralympics The 1994 Winter Paralympics, the sixth Winter Paralympics, were held in Lillehammer, Norway, from 10–19 March 1994. These Games marked the first time the Paralympic Winter Games were held in the same location as the Winter Olympics, a tradition that has continued through an agreement of cooperation... |
25 | 21 | 18 | 64 | 2nd |
1998 Winter Paralympics 1998 Winter Paralympics The 1998 Winter Paralympics, the seventh Winter Paralympics, were held alongside the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan from March 5 to March 14, 1998. They were the first Paralympic Winter Games to be held outside Europe.- Sports :... |
14 | 17 | 13 | 44 | 2nd |
2002 Winter Paralympics 2002 Winter Paralympics The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated.... |
17 | 1 | 15 | 33 | 1st |
2006 Winter Paralympics 2006 Winter Paralympics The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo.... |
8 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 2nd |
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... |
13 | 5 | 6 | 24 | 1st |
Total | 121 | 108 | 101 | 330 |
See also
- Germany at the OlympicsGermany at the OlympicsGerman athletes have taken part in most of the Olympic Games since the first modern Games in 1896. Germany has hosted three Olympic Games, in 1936 both the Winter and Summer Games, and the 1972 Summer Olympics. In addition, Germany had been selected to host the 1916 Summer Olympics as well as the...
- East Germany at the ParalympicsEast Germany at the ParalympicsThe German Democratic Republic made its first and only Paralympic Games appearance at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York, where it entered four competitors in athletics. East Germany never took part in the Winter Paralympics...
- All-time Paralympic Games medal tableAll-time Paralympic Games medal tableAn 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....