2002 Winter Paralympics
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Winter Paralympics, the eighth Winter Paralympics, were held in Salt Lake City, Utah
, United States
, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated.
These were the first Paralympic Winter Games for Andorra
, Chile
, the People’s Republic of China, Croatia
, Greece
, and Hungary
.
Ragnhild Myklebust
of Norway
won five gold medals in skiing and biathlon, becoming the most successful Winter Paralympic athlete of all times with 22 medals, 17 of them gold.
by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation (United States) is highlighted.
The mascot
for the Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City 2002 was Otto the otter. Ancient Indian tribes
considered the otter to be one of the most powerful of all animals. After being nearly wiped out by pollution and overtrapping the river otter has been reintroduced to Utah
and can be seen along the banks of the Green River
and near Flaming Gorge
. The otter was chosen as the official mascot of the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympic Winter Games because he embodies vitality and agility, and represents the spirit of every Paralympian.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from March 7 to March 16, 2002. A total of 416 athletes from 36 nations participated.
These were the first Paralympic Winter Games for Andorra
Andorra
Andorra , officially the Principality of Andorra , also called the Principality of the Valleys of Andorra, , is a small landlocked country in southwestern Europe, located in the eastern Pyrenees mountains and bordered by Spain and France. It is the sixth smallest nation in Europe having an area of...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, the People’s Republic of China, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Ragnhild Myklebust
Ragnhild Myklebust
Ragnhild Myklebust is a Norwegian nordic skier and multiple gold medal winner at the Paralympic Games. , she holds the record for the most ever medals won at the Winter Paralympics, having won 27 medals, of which 22 were gold....
of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
won five gold medals in skiing and biathlon, becoming the most successful Winter Paralympic athlete of all times with 22 medals, 17 of them gold.
Sports
The games consisted of four disciplines in three sports.- Alpine skiingAlpine skiing at the 2002 Winter ParalympicsAlpine skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics consisted of 53 events, 34 for men and 19 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*Downhill: men - women*Super-G: men - women*Giant slalom: men - women...
- Sledge hockeyIce sledge hockey at the 2002 Winter ParalympicsThe 2002 Winter Paralympics ice sledge hockey tournament was held between March 4, 2002 and March 15, 2002 at the E Center in West Valley City, Utah, USA.-Final rankings:- Preliminary round :Preliminary round summary- Final round :5th place playoff...
- Nordic skiing
- BiathlonBiathlon at the 2002 Winter ParalympicsBiathlon at the 2002 Winter Paralympics consisted of six events, three for men and three for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :Men* 7.5 km** Sitting** Standing** Visually impairedWomen* 7.5 km** Sitting** Standing...
- Cross-country skiingCross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter ParalympicsCross-country skiing at the 2002 Winter Paralympics consisted of 32 events, 20 for men and 12 for women.-Medal table:- Medal summary :The competition events were:*2.5 km: - women*5 km: men - women*10 km: men - women*15 km: men - women...
- Biathlon
Medal table
The top 10 NPCsNational Paralympic Committee
National Paralympic Committees are the national constituents of the worldwide Paralympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Paralympic Committee , they are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Paralympic Games.The Paralympic Games are a major...
by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation (United States) is highlighted.
| Rank | Country |  |
 |
 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | 15 | 33 | ||
| 10 | 22 | 11 | 43 | ||
| 10 | 3 | 6 | 19 | ||
| 9 | 10 | 10 | 29 | ||
| 7 | 9 | 5 | 21 | ||
| 6 | 4 | 5 | 15 | ||
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 | ||
| 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 | ||
| 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | ||
| 10 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
Symbol and mascot of the games
The logo of the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympic Winter Games is made up of three distinct marks. The sphere on the top represents the head of the Paralympic athlete and also symbolizes the global unity of the Paralympic Movement. Two broad fluid lines represent the athlete in motion. The three taegeuks beneath the athlete reproduce the green, red and blue marks on the Paralympic Flag.Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
for the Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City 2002 was Otto the otter. Ancient Indian tribes
Indian tribes
The India's tribal belts refer to contiguous areas of indigenous settlement of tribal people of India.-Northwest India:The Tribal Belt of Northwest India includes the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The tribal people of this region have origins which precede the Vedic...
considered the otter to be one of the most powerful of all animals. After being nearly wiped out by pollution and overtrapping the river otter has been reintroduced to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and can be seen along the banks of the Green River
Green River (Utah)
The Green River, located in the western United States, is the chief tributary of the Colorado River. The watershed of the river, known as the Green River Basin, covers parts of Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. The Green River is long, beginning in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and flowing...
and near Flaming Gorge
Flaming Gorge Reservoir
Flaming Gorge Reservoir is a reservoir in Wyoming and Utah, on the Green River, created by Flaming Gorge Dam. Construction on the dam began in 1958 and was completed in 1964...
. The otter was chosen as the official mascot of the Salt Lake 2002 Paralympic Winter Games because he embodies vitality and agility, and represents the spirit of every Paralympian.
See also
- 2002 Winter Paralympics medal table2002 Winter Paralympics medal tableThe 2002 Winter Paralympics medal table is a list of National Paralympic Committees ranked by the number of gold medals won by their athletes during the 2002 Winter Paralympics, held in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, from March 7 to March 16, 2002....
- 2002 Winter Olympics2002 Winter OlympicsThe 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event that was celebrated in February 2002 in and around Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Approximately 2,400 athletes from 77 nations participated in 78 events in fifteen disciplines, held throughout...