Great Britain at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
Encyclopedia
Great Britain
sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
in Heidelberg
, West Germany
. Teams from the nation are referred to by International Paralympic Committee
(IPC) as Great Britain despite athletes from the whole of the United Kingdom
, including those from Northern Ireland
, being eligible. They sent seventy two competitors, forty seven male and twenty five female. The team won fifty-two medals—sixteen gold, fifteen silver and twenty-one bronze—to finish third in the medal table
behind West Germany
and the United States
. Philip Craven
, the President of the IPC since 2001, competed in athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball for Great Britain at these Games.
and required the use of a wheelchair. This is in contrast to later Paralympics that include events for participants that fit into any of five different disability categories; amputation
, either congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy
; wheelchair
athletes; visual impairment
, including blindness
; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism
or multiple sclerosis
. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing.
, who won Britain's first ever Paralympic gold medal during the 1960 Games
, finished sixth in the women's FITA round open.
, who 29-years later would become President of the IPC finished 24th in both of his athletics events.
players competed at the Games, each won a medal. In the men's paraplegic event Michael Shelton
won gold for the third consecutive Games. In the men's tetraplegic event Great Britain won gold and bronze through Haslam and Mcgann respectively.
at the Games winning ten medals, two gold, three silver and four bronze. Three medals were won by A. West in men's 25 metres class 1A events, he took gold in backstroke and silvers in breaststroke and freestyle. Philip Craven
finished sixth in the men's 50 metres breaststroke class 3.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
sent a delegation to compete 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...
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...
, 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....
. Teams from the nation are referred to by 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...
(IPC) as Great Britain despite athletes from the whole of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, including those from Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, being eligible. They sent seventy two competitors, forty seven male and twenty five female. The team won fifty-two medals—sixteen gold, fifteen silver and twenty-one bronze—to finish third in the medal table
1972 Summer Paralympics medal table
The 21st International Stoke Mandeville Games, later known as the 1972 Summer Paralympics was an international multi-sport event held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from August 2 to 11, 1972, in which athletes with physical disabilities competed against one another...
behind West Germany
West Germany at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
West Germany sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. They sent seventy five competitors, fifty two male and twenty three female.-Disability classifications:...
and the United States
United States at the 1972 Summer Paralympics
The United States sent a delegation to compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, West Germany. Its athletes finished second to the host nation West Germany in the gold medal count and first in the overall medal count.-External links:**...
. Philip Craven
Philip Craven
Sir Philip Craven MBE is a British sports official and former athlete. He is the second and current President of the International Paralympic Committee .-Education:...
, the President of the IPC since 2001, competed in athletics, swimming and wheelchair basketball for Great Britain at these Games.
Disability classifications
Athletes at the Paralympics in 1972 were all afflicted by spinal cord injuriesSpinal cord injury
A spinal cord injury refers to any injury to the spinal cord that is caused by trauma instead of disease. Depending on where the spinal cord and nerve roots are damaged, the symptoms can vary widely, from pain to paralysis to incontinence...
and required the use of a wheelchair. This is in contrast to later Paralympics that include events for participants that fit into any of five different disability categories; amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
, either congenital or sustained through injury or illness; cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
; wheelchair
Wheelchair
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; visual impairment
Visual impairment
Visual impairment is vision loss to such a degree as to qualify as an additional support need through a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from either disease, trauma, or congenital or degenerative conditions that cannot be corrected by conventional means, such as refractive...
, including blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
; Les autres, any physical disability that does not fall strictly under one of the other categories, for example dwarfism
Dwarfism
Dwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
or multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. Each Paralympic sport then has its own classifications, dependent upon the specific physical demands of competition. Events are given a code, made of numbers and letters, describing the type of event and classification of the athletes competing.
Archery
Great Britain sent fifteen athletes to compete in archery at the Games; British archers won three silver medals and one bronze medal. Anderson was Britain's most successful archer winning silver in the women's St. Nicholas round tetraplegic event and teaming up with Taylor and Jane Blackburn to win silver in the mixed St. Nicholas round team tetraplegic event. Margaret MaughanMargaret Maughan
Margaret Maughan , is a British former competitive archer. She holds the distinction of being Britain's first ever gold medallist at the Paralympic Games....
, who won Britain's first ever Paralympic gold medal during the 1960 Games
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...
, finished sixth in the women's FITA round open.
Athletics
Great Britain's thirty-two athletics competitors won seven medals in athletics. Howie won two individual gold medals in women's wheelchair racing events and added a third gold in the 4×x40 m wheelchair relay. The winning relay team also included Carol Bryant who added an individual gold medal in wheelchair racinga nd a bronze in pentathlon. Philip CravenPhilip Craven
Sir Philip Craven MBE is a British sports official and former athlete. He is the second and current President of the International Paralympic Committee .-Education:...
, who 29-years later would become President of the IPC finished 24th in both of his athletics events.
Dartchery
Great Britain entered two athletes in dartchery, Margaret Maughan and M. Cooper competed in the women's pairs event and won the gold medal.Lawn Bowls
Five British lawn bowls players competed in Heidelberg, each won at least one medal. T. Ure won a silver medal in the men's singles and also won siliver in the men's pairs alongside Guthrie. In the women's events Barnard and F. Nowak won bronze and silver respectively in the singles; Nowak also teamed up with Gwen Buck to win the gold medal in the women's pairs.Snooker
Three British snookerSnooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
players competed at the Games, each won a medal. In the men's paraplegic event Michael Shelton
Michael Shelton
Michael Shelton is a British sportsman who competed at the Summer Paralympic Games five times between 1960 and 1976. He won six Paralympic medals, four gold, a silver and a bronze.-References:...
won gold for the third consecutive Games. In the men's tetraplegic event Great Britain won gold and bronze through Haslam and Mcgann respectively.
Swimming
Twenty-three British athletes took part in swimming eventsParalympic swimming
Paralympic swimming is an adaptation of the sport of swimming for athletes with disabilities. Paralympic swimming is contested not only at the Summer Paralympic Games, but at disabled sports competitions throughout the world...
at the Games winning ten medals, two gold, three silver and four bronze. Three medals were won by A. West in men's 25 metres class 1A events, he took gold in backstroke and silvers in breaststroke and freestyle. Philip Craven
Philip Craven
Sir Philip Craven MBE is a British sports official and former athlete. He is the second and current President of the International Paralympic Committee .-Education:...
finished sixth in the men's 50 metres breaststroke class 3.