Canadian Paralympic Committee - Current Games - 2008 Paralympic Games Beijing

Beijing, China,
September 6 - 17, 2008

INTRODUCTION

The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Summer Games were held September 6-17, 2008. They were open for 13 days following the closure of the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The Paralympic Games utilized the same venues as the 2008 Olympic Games. Most venues for the Games were in the range of the Olympic Green and the university area, while the Olympic Village was converted to serve as the Paralympic Village.

Beijing 2008 - Qingdao Paralympic Village

2008 Paralympic Summer Games Quick Facts:

Number of Countries: 146
Number of Competitors: 4011 (1383 women)
Number of officials and representatives: 2 500
Number of volunteers: greater than 30 000
Number of media: 5 600
Number of Sports and disciplines: 20
Total Medal Events: 472
Competition Venues: 18 (16 in Beijing, 1 in Qingdao, 1 in HKSAR)
Disability Groups: Amputee, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Injury, Visually Impaired and Les Autres.
Of the athletes included in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, targets were set by gender to be 65% male and 35% female.
Rowing made its debut as a Paralympic sport.

Canadian Team in Beijing

Number of Athletes: 143 (80 men and 63 women)
Number of sports: 17
Number of coaches, medical staff and other support team members: 120
Placing: Seventh
Final Team Selection: July 2008

Schedule of Events

Archery: Sept. 10-15
Athletics: Sept. 8-17
Boccia: Sept. 7-12
Cycling: Sept. 7-10, 12-14
Equestrian: Sept. 7-12
Football 5-a-Side: Sept. 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17
Football 7-a-Side: Sept. 8, 10, 12, 14, 16
Goalball: Sept. 7-14
Judo: Sept. 7-9
Powerlifting: Sept. 9-11, 13-16
Rowing: Sept. 9-11
Sailing: Sept. 8-13
Shooting: Sept. 7-12
Swimming: Sept. 7-15
Table Tennis: Sept. 7-16
Wheelchair Basketball: Sept. 7-16
Wheelchair Rugby: Sept. 12-16
Wheelchair Fencing: Sept. 14-17
Wheelchair Tennis: Sept. 8-15

The Sports

As the Paralympic Games with the largest number of sports in history to date, there were a total of 20 sports represented in the Games, including Rowing, a new sport at the Games. Among the total, 18 sports were held in Beijing, with the exception of Sailing and Equestrian, held in the cities of Qingdao and Hong Kong, respectively.

The slogan of the Games was "One World One Dream," which was the same for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Summer Games.

“One World One Dream" fully reflects the essence and the universal values of the Olympic spirit – Unity, Friendship, Progress, Harmony, Participation and Dream. It expresses the common wishes of people all over the world, inspired by the Olympic ideals, to strive for a bright future of Mankind. In spite of the differences in colors, languages and races, we share the charm and joy of the Olympic Games, and together we seek for the ideal of Mankind for peace. We belong to the same world and we share the same aspirations and dreams.

More information on the Beijing Paralympic Summer Games can be found at on the Beijing 2008 official website (March 2011).