About two months ago, the whole world was excited about the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. With the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics recently ending, why didn’t we hear the same buzz? It’s not because of low performance, since the U.S. is the fourth country with the most gold medals. It’s not because the games aren’t as exciting, because most sports are similar to ones in the Olympics and athletes tend to show up for the competition with incredible backstories.
Not many news and media outlets covered the Paralympics and we are all used to the Olympics making every major headline. The Paralympic Games are comparable to the Olympics in many ways, since they happen every four years and have Summer and Winter editions. Usually, the Paralympic Games happen shortly after the Olympic Games in the same host city.
The Paralympic Games are run by the International Paralympic Committee, which was founded in Germany in 1989. When entering the Paralympic competition, athletes are divided into six different categories according to their disabilities. The categories include amputee, cerebral palsy, visual impairment, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disability and “less Autres,” which encompasses all athletes whose disabilities do not fit into the previous five categories. Within each category, athletes are divided into subcategories according to the level and type of their impairment or disability.
The Paralympic Games have been growing both in size and popularity. In 1960, the Paralympics hosted 400 athletes from 23 countries participating in eight different sports. For comparison, in London in 2012, 4,200 athletes participated in the competition, representing more than 50 countries and 20 sports. Nevertheless, the event still is overshadowed by the Olympic Games or any other major sports competitions. The Paralympic Games are just as good of an opportunity for people to cheer for their country and enjoy the thrill of competition. Moreover, for the Tokyo Paralympics edition specifically, many world records were broken and history was made.
The U.S. finished in third place in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Medal Count, with 104 medals in total, 37 of them gold. Many American athletes have been the ones breaking the records at the games. Anastasia Pagonis, 17, broke the world record for S11 400-meter freestyle, which was her own from the Paralympic trials, and won the first gold medal for the U.S. team on day two. Gia Pergolini, also 17, broke the world record for S13 100-meter backstroke, which was also hers from the Paralympics preliminary and added another gold to the Team USA’s long list of medals. Finally, track and field athlete Nick Mayhugh was the first T37 athlete to break the 11-second mark. Mayhugh brought the gold home in an impressive 10.95 seconds. The run was Mayhugh’s debut in track and field, which he started to practice just two years ago.
This year’s Paralympics Games came to an end as one of the most successful ones, full of record-breaking and growing participation and involvement. However, the event still does not have the coverage and spotlight it deserves. Most of these Paralympic athletes found in sport a way of dealing with their disabilities and a community that offers support. These athletes come from all different backgrounds, and all overcome so many challenges towards their path of success. The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games promise to bring much more of the emotion and history we saw in 2020, but let’s hope the hype for the event follows.
