The Paralymic Games are for athletes with disabilities that prevent them from competing in the Olympic Games. The games were first held in 1976 in Sweden and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Since 1988 the Paralympic Games have been hosted by the same city and often in the same venues as the Olympic Games; they normally take place a couple of weeks after the Olympics. The Winter Paralympic Games features five different events: sledge hockey, cross-country skiing, biathalon, alpine skiing, and wheelchair curling.
Wheelchair curling
Wheelchair curling was developed in the 1990s in Switzerland; the first World Curling Championship was held in that country in 2002. It was added to the Paralympic Games in 2006 in Torino, Italy. Canada won the first gold medal in the sport. The sport is regulated by the World Curling Federation.
While regular Olympic curling features two teams of 4 players competing for points, wheelchair curling only really needs two players on each team. They play on the same rink and use the same rocks as regular curling. These rinks are 45-46 m in length and 4.5-5 m in width. A vertical line is drawn down the middle from one end to the other. Horizontal lines named hoglines are also painted 11m from each end. Three circles (blue, white and red usually) are also painted at each end and are called the house. Rocks can be thrown by leaning over the side of the wheelchair or pushed with a special pole with a bracket attached. There is no sweeping.
Teams in wheelchair curling must be made up of both men and women and the games are 8 ends each with 8 rocks being thrown by each team in each round. Rocks must be thrown within 18 inches of the centre line, and the rock must be thrown before the hogline is reached. After 8 rocks are thrown by each team in the end, one team scores a point for each rock that is closer to the centre of the house than the other team's. Each team has a time limit of 68 minutes and are allowed one 60 second time out; if a team goes over their allotted time they automatically lose the game. If a team believes they have no change of winning, they can forfeit the game. To qualify for wheelchair curling, an athlete must be either dependent on a wheelchair to get around or be unable to walk short distances.
For more information on wheelchair curling, visit wheelchaircurling.com.
While the Paralympic games don't get the same amount of television coverage as the Olympic Games, they are every bit as important to the athletes who compete and to those who watch them compete. These athletes are the elite of their sports and their medals are as hard fought for as any in the Olympic Games.
Susan Keeping - Susan has been writing online for over 10 years and is currently developing a website for women.
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