Paralympics Games : 1960... Today

During the 20th century, CIO adapted the Olympics Games compared to the social changes in the world (economics, politicals and technologicals changes). Thanks to these changes, the winter's Olympics games, the paralympics games and younger's Olympics games were created.

Consequently, the Olympics games passed from amateurism (according to coubertin) to professionalism.

The 1^st Olympics games took place in Rome in 1960 (Summer Olympics Games). 8 sports were joined : athletics, basketball in wheel chair, dartchery (mixture of archery and darts), snooker, swimming, fencing in wheel chair, table tennis and archery. Only the sportsmen suffering from lesions to the spinal-cord could take part.

Today the Olympics Games are not limited any more to the physical handicap. The physically handicappe people or visual and mental can take part in the Paralympics Games.

The deaf persons and deaf people can take part in the Olympics Games of the deaf persons.

Now, there are twenty sports in the summer Paralympics games and 4 in the winter Paralympics games : Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, hockey with toboggan.