The First Paralympic Games Are Held

Setting the scene

Sir Ludwig Guttmann's Stoke Mandeville Games had shown that sport could rehabilitate spinal-injury patients, but athletes with disabilities still lacked an Olympic-scale international festival tied to the Summer Games.

What happened

The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, immediately following the Olympics, with about 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in wheelchair events and other disciplines.

Why it still matters

Rome proved that elite sport for athletes with disabilities deserved global recognition and laid groundwork for the modern Paralympic movement. Memorable detail: the 1960 Games were open only to wheelchair athletes, unlike today's far broader classifications.

Background

Sir Ludwig Guttmann's movement grew from Stoke Mandeville.