The 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games broke the record of participating countries: 122 (or 123 delegations, including independent athletes from East Timor). It was the largest edition of the event until then, with a total of 3,824 athletes. The event could not have been more successful with nearly 1.2 million tickets sold, more than twice the attendance of the previous edition.

Once again, the level of the competitions was impressive, and more than 300 world and Paralympic records were broken. For example, Tanni Grey-Thompson from England had an incredible performance, finishing first in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 meters wheelchair races. American double amputee swimmer Jason Wening won his third gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle, breaking his own world record.

The Sydney Games finished with enormous success generated by the broadcasting of the sporting events. The competition's official website broadcast more than 100 hours of video to users in 103 countries. On top of that, nearly 2,300 press professionals were accredited to work on event coverage.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 122
Sports: 19

A spectacular opening ceremony launched the 2004 Paralympic Games. Athens repeated the previous edition's success both in number of athletes and in public interest. Of the 136 participating nations, 73 won at least one medal.

A total of 304 world and 448 Paralympic records were broken. Japanese swimmer Mayumi Narita was one of the edition's stars. She won seven gold medals and one bronze. Canadian Chantal Petitclerc took home five gold medals in wheelchair races.

Brazil also did well, winning the first football 5-a-side tournament and establishing itself as the best team in the world. After defeating Argentina three to two in penalty kicks, Brazil became the only unbeaten team in the tournament and finished with the best offense, scoring 14 goals in six games.

Once again, the event was highly promoted and watched, and hit record numbers of viewers around the world. At the closing ceremony, a flag was hoisted with the new International Paralympic Committee logo.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 136
Sports: 19

The Arnhem Games included the participation of almost 2,000 athletes from 42 countries. Participants included 452 amputees, 341 with visually impairment, and for the first time, 125 with cerebral palsy. Other innovations included sitting volleyball, as well as the introduction of goalball as a Paralympic sport for the visually impaired.

New Zealander Neroli Fairhall was the highlight of the event, winning the gold in archery for paraplegics. Four years later, she finished 35th among 56 competitors at the Los Angeles Olympics.

The United States finished at the top of the medals table, followed by Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Arnhem Paralympics served to consolidate the sports programs of the four major disability groups, represented by their international sport federations in one venue for the first time, which contributed towards the development of Paralympic athletes. Later that year, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was created.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 42
Sports: 12

The seventh edition of the Paralympic Games was held both in Europe and North America from July to August 1984. The English town of Stoke Mandeville, host of the first amateur competitions among the disabled, received athletes with spinal lesions. New York hosted competitions involving the amputees and those with cerebral palsy and the visually impaired.

During the Games held in the United States, which had the largest press coverage until then, approximately 1,800 athletes from 45 countries competed. One of the stand outs was American Jim Martinson, world record holder in the 100-meter wheelchair race. Frenchman Mustapha Badid was also impressive in the 800 meters where he took the gold.

In England, 1,100 athletes from 41 countries competed in 14 events. Many records were broken, especially in track and field. Swiss Reiner Kuschall and American Bart Dodson dominated the men's events and each took home two gold medals. Danish athlete Ingrid Lauridson and American swimmer Marcia Bevard were the stars among women, taking the top of the podium six times.

The United States finished at the top once again, followed by Great Britain and Canada. Despite the short amount of time for its organization, the event was a success.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 45 em Nova York e 41 em Stoke Mandeville
Sports: 18

The 1988 Paralympic Games took the event to a whole new level. The eighth edition was the largest and the one with the best infrastructure thus far. The 3,053 athletes from 61 countries were well accommodated in 1316 Paralympic Village apartments just four kilometers away from the Olympic Stadium.

The opening ceremony was held in Seoul's Olympic Stadium in front of 75.000 people. The athletes' performances were impressive that year. American Trischa Zorn, a visually impaired swimmer, won a total of 12 gold medals and broke nine world records. Frenchman Mustapha Badid reached the top of the podium four times, after the 200, 1,500, 5,000 meter races and the wheelchair marathon.

Swiss Franz Nietlspach also stood out that year, winning three gold medals in the 200 and 800 meter wheelchair races and a canoeing event. Connie Hansen, from Denmark, had an incredible performance in the wheelchair speed competitions, with five gold medals. American Dennis Oelher was able to break the 12 second barrier in the 100 meters, covering the distance with prosthesis on one of his legs in just 11.73 seconds.

Once again, the United States finished at the top of the medals table, followed by the Federal Republic of Germany and Great Britain. The closing ceremony was held on October 24 with full capacity and a great fireworks display.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 61
Sports: 18

About 75,000 people watched the opening ceremony of the Games at Montjuic Olympic Stadium. The 12 days of competitions were watched by 1.5 million spectators and several thousands television viewers. More than 3,000 athletes from 82 countries participated in 487 events where 279 records were broken.

Once again, athletes gave unforgettable performances. American swimmer Trischa Zorn, visually impaired, took home ten gold and two silver medals. John Morgan and Bart Dodson, also from the United States, won all eight competitions in which they participated in swimming and track and field, respectively. Fellow American Swimmer Elizabeth Scott took the gold in seven events.

The spectacular closing ceremony was the ideal finish to one of the most praised editions of the Paralympic Games in history.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 82
Sports: 16

For the first time in history, the tenth edition of the Paralympic Games included athletes with mental disabilities. The main concept of the Atlanta Games was based on three elements: quantity, quality and universality. The objective was to reach the highest level of competition with the largest number of athletes.

In Atlanta, 3,195 athletes from 103 countries participated in 508 events in 20 sport disciplines, 17 of which were worth medals. The other three, racquetball, sailing and wheelchair rugby, were demonstration sports.

Out of the many highlights, Australian Louise Savagem won four gold medals in wheelchair races, Dutch swimmer Kasper Engel broke the men's world record in the breaststroke, while Beatrice Hess from France won the 200-meter individual medley, breaking the Paralympic and world record. A total of 269 records were broken.

The United States finished in first place, followed by Australia and Germany. The Games had the highest number of spectators at the competitions (388,373 people) and wide press coverage, with 2,088 accredited professionals.

Besides the growth of the Games, there were other new aspects that year. The third Paralympic Congress was held four days before the beginning of the competitions and addressed issues like the political and economic strengthening of actions geared toward the disabled. The Cultural Pyramid was another innovation in 1996: it exhibited the works of several artists with some sort of disability from around the world. With the initiative, the organizing committee was able to draw a parallel between arts and sports.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 103
Sports: 19

The second edition of the Paralympic Games in 1964 followed the successful path that had begun in Rome. Tokyo received a total of 375 athletes from 21 countries. The largest delegations were from the United Kingdom, with 70 competitors and the United States, who sent 66 athletes.

That year, an important sport was introduced: the wheelchair race. Both men and women competed in the event that would become one of the most popular at the Paralympic Games, and which contributed to the development of its competitors.

Many athletes had brilliant performances. In track and field, American Ron Stein, South African Daniel Erasmus and Englishman Dick Thompson performed excellently. Frenchman Serge Bec (fencing) and Zimbabwean Margaret Harriman (archery) also stood out.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 21
Sports modalities: 9

Ten thousand people watched the Games' 1968 opening ceremony, in which 750 competitors from 29 countries participated. The number of sports disciplines increased with sports such as boccia, women's basketball and men's 100-meter wheelchair race.

Italian Roberto Marson was the big star that year. After winning two gold medals in track and field in 1964, he also began to compete in swimming and fencing. Marson left Tel Aviv with nine gold medals. Another stand out was Australian swimmer Lorraine Dodd, who broke three records in her category on the same day.

Twenty records were broken that year in the event's 181 competitions.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 29
Sports modalities: 10

The 1972 Games witnessed the use of electronic touch sensors for the first time. Many athletes broke world records, including Dutch swimmer Van der Bender (100 meters freestyle), Canadian Reimer (discus) and Israeli Zipora Rubin (javelin). The overall winner of the Games was the Federal Republic of Germany, followed by the United States and Great Britain.

The biggest news was the participation of the visually impaired. Another factor that contributed to the importance of the Heidelberg Games was the meeting of coaches and technical commissions after the event, where they decided that sub-committees would be created with the intent of improving competition rules, which would contribute to athlete development.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 41
Sports modalities: 10

The Paralympic Games in Toronto, Canada, were marked by the high number of participants (more than 1,600) and the introduction of new categories and disciplines. For the first time, 261 amputees and 187 visually impaired participated in competitions and events. The wheelchair races began to be run at 200, 400, 800 and 1500, meters and the shooting events and goalball matches began to be contested for medals.

The Toronto Paralympics also went down in history as the first to be televised. Among the athletes, one of the stand outs was Canadian Arnie Boldt, an 18 year-old who had lost one of his legs, who won the long jump and pole vault events. He was the first amputee to win a gold medal.

American David Kiley also stood out by breaking the wheelchair race's world's record and earning yet another gold medal as a member of the wheelchair basketball team. The United States finished at the top of the overall medals table. Holland and Israel followed.

Information Sheet
Number of countries: 40
Sports modalities: 13