2010 Winter Paralympics
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Winter Paralympics, officially the X Paralympic Winter Games, or the 10th Winter Paralympics, were held in Vancouver
and Whistler, British Columbia
, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium
in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler. With a theme of "One Inspires Many," the Opening Ceremony featured over 5000 local performers. 15-year old snowboarder Zach Beaumont, who has an amputation
, was the final torch bearer and lit the Games Cauldron. The 2 hours live ceremony was produced by Vancouver-based Patrick Roberge Productions Inc.
This was the first time Canada hosted the Winter Paralympic Games
and second time hosted the Paralympics – the first was the 1976 Summer Paralympics
in Toronto
.
On June 7, 2006, Prince Edward
, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family and patron of the British Paralympic Association, raised the flag of the Paralympic Games outside Vancouver City Hall
.
Brian McKeever
of Canada
became the first athlete to be named in a Winter Paralympics and Winter Olympics
team in the same year, although he did not compete in the Olympic Games. (At the 2010 Winter Olympics
, he was scheduled to compete in the men's 50 km cross-country race, but the coach replaced him with a skier who did well at an earlier event.) At the Paralympics, he competed in Cross-country skiing
and Biathlon
.
Viviane Forest
became the first Paralympian to win a gold in both the Winter and Summer Games, by winning the Women's Downhill for Visually Impaired
. She had previously won gold in the 2000
and 2004
Summer Paralympics for women's goalball
.
Canadian Lauren Woolstencroft
won 5 gold medals in alpine skiing
, the most gold medals won by any Canadian Winter Paralympian at a single Games. Also German Verena Bentele
won 5 gold medals, in biathlon
and cross country skiing
, and with that number they set the gold medal record for the 2010 Games.
.
Competition venues
Non-competition venues
and legs of a black bear, was introduced, it was the first time the Olympic and Paralympic mascots were introduced at the same time.
To commemorate the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, 17 Canadian coins were issued for general circulation. Two of the circulation coins honour Paralympic sports: wheelchair curling (released on July 11, 2007) and ice sledge hockey (released on March 18, 2010). The circulation quarters omitted a traditional phrase, Dei Gratia Regina
, from their obverse side, making them the first godless coins in circulation since 1911.
Specifications
Details
s (NPCs) entered athletes at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. This was an increase of five from the 39 represented at the 2006 Winter Paralympics
. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants from each NPC.
A total of 506 athletes participated in the Games. This is an increase from the 476 athletes who participated in 2006.
Argentina
and Romania
took part in the Winter Paralympic Games for the first time, as did Bosnia and Herzegovina
. All three have previously participated in several editions of the Summer Paralympics. Serbia
also made its Winter Paralympics début as a distinct NPC, following its split with Montenegro
.
Despite the overall increase of delegates and athletes, Latvia
, which participated in Turin for the 2006 Winter Paralympics, did not send athletes to Vancouver.
by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation, Canada, is highlighted.
, a joint venture
between CTVglobemedia
and Rogers Media
. The networks aired a greater amount of coverage than what had been shown in previous years, a total of 50 hours of coverage. Coverage included including a daily 90-minute highlight program, and live coverage of select sledge hockey matches (games involving Canada, plus the gold medal game) on CTV
. The opening ceremony was broadcast live on CTV's Vancouver station CIVT-TV
, followed by an encore aired nationally on CTV and Réseau Info Sports the following afternoon. While not originally planned, CTV and RDS also aired live coverage of the closing ceremony
.
The games were aired on Universal Sports
in the United States.
Paralympic Sport TV (paralympicsport.tv), the Internet TV channel of the International Paralympic Committee
(IPC), offered international free online live and recorded coverage of the games, every day from 9:00 to 22:30 PST.
In New Zealand, SKY TV
broadcast one hour of highlights each day, and full coverage of New Zealand athletes.
In the United Kingdom, BBC
broadcast the Games, but only through the red button and online.
In Europe, Eurosport
broadcast live the medal events in biathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing.
In France, France Télévisions
provided live coverage on its website.
In Italy, Sky Sport provided record coverage with all games live on five dedicated HD channels.
In Australia, ABC1
broadcast the games.
In Norway, NRK broadcast the games. 30 hours of the Games were broadcast live. NRK-sport were critical to parts of the TV production from Vancouver, an issue they've notified to the EBU
. Issues such as showing biathlon
without showing the shooting, and in cross-country skiing
there were numerous panorama shots of the same mountain area with skiers in the distance, making it hard to follow the progress of the competition. NRK were far more pleased with the production of the ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling
events, which they felt reached the same level as the Olympic Games.
.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
and Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler, British Columbia
Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, Canada from March 12 to 21, 2010. The Opening Ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium
BC Place Stadium
BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the...
in Vancouver and the Closing Ceremony in Whistler. With a theme of "One Inspires Many," the Opening Ceremony featured over 5000 local performers. 15-year old snowboarder Zach Beaumont, who has an amputation
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
, was the final torch bearer and lit the Games Cauldron. The 2 hours live ceremony was produced by Vancouver-based Patrick Roberge Productions Inc.
This was the first time Canada hosted the Winter Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
and second time hosted the Paralympics – the first was the 1976 Summer Paralympics
1976 Summer Paralympics
The 1976 Summer Paralympics were the fifth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Toronto, in the province of Ontario, Canada from August 3 to 11, 1976...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
On June 7, 2006, Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
, as a member of the Canadian Royal Family and patron of the British Paralympic Association, raised the flag of the Paralympic Games outside Vancouver City Hall
Vancouver City Hall
Vancouver City Hall is home to Vancouver City Council in Vancouver, British Columbia. Located at 453 West 12th Avenue, the building was ordered by the Vancouver Civic Building Committee, designed by architect Fred Townley and Matheson, and built by Carter, Halls, Aldinger and Company...
.
Brian McKeever
Brian McKeever
Brian McKeever is a Canadian cross-country skier and biathlete. He began skiing at the age of three and started competing at thirteen. At 19 he began losing his vision due to Stargardt's disease. At the 2002 and 2006 Winter Paralympics he competed in both cross-country skiing and biathlon...
of Canada
Canada at the Paralympics
Canada has participated eleven times in the Summer Paralympic Games and in all Winter Paralympic Games. They first competed at the Summer Games in 1968 and the Winter Games in 1976.-Milestones:...
became the first athlete to be named in a Winter Paralympics and Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
team in the same year, although he did not compete in the Olympic Games. (At the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, he was scheduled to compete in the men's 50 km cross-country race, but the coach replaced him with a skier who did well at an earlier event.) At the Paralympics, he competed in Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
The cross-country skiing competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics were held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events were held between 14 March and 21 March 2010.-Medal table:-Events:...
and Biathlon
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
The biathlon competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics was held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events will be held on 13 March and 17 March 2010.-Medal table:-Events:...
.
Viviane Forest
Viviane Forest
Viviane Forest is a multi-sport Paralympic medallist. She was born and raised in Quebec, and currently resides in Edmonton.-Sporting career:Forest played on Canada's gold medal-winning goalball teams in Sydney and Athens....
became the first Paralympian to win a gold in both the Winter and Summer Games, by winning the Women's Downhill for Visually Impaired
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Paralympics – Women's downhill
-External links:*, at the official website of the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver...
. She had previously won gold in the 2000
2000 Summer Paralympics
The 2000 Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, from 18 October to 29 October. The eleventh Summer Paralympic Games, an estimated 3800 athletes took part in the Sydney programme. They commenced with the opening ceremony on 18 October 2000...
and 2004
2004 Summer Paralympics
The 2004 Summer Paralympics were held in Athens, Greece, from September 17 to September 28. The twelfth Paralympic Games, an estimated 4,000 athletes took part in the Athens programme, with ages ranging from 11 to 66. Paralympic events had already taken place during the 2004 Summer Olympics as...
Summer Paralympics for women's goalball
Goalball
Goalball is a team sport designed for blind athletes. It was devised by Hanz Lorenzen , and Sepp Reindle , in 1946 in an effort to help in the rehabilitation of visually impaired World War II veterans...
.
Canadian Lauren Woolstencroft
Lauren Woolstencroft
Lauren Woolstencroft is a Canadian alpine skier. She is an electrical engineer working with BC Hydro. She graduated with an electrical engineering degree from the University of Victoria. She now resides in North Vancouver...
won 5 gold medals in alpine skiing
Alpine skiing at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
The alpine skiing competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics will be held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events were due to be held between 13 March and 21 March 2010...
, the most gold medals won by any Canadian Winter Paralympian at a single Games. Also German Verena Bentele
Verena Bentele
Verena Bentele is a blind German Paralympic biathlete and cross-country skier. She won her first Paralympic medals at the 1998 Winter Paralympics, followed by four gold medals at the 2002 Winter Paralympics, as well as two gold and one bronze medal at the 2006 Winter Paralympics At the 2010...
won 5 gold medals, in biathlon
Biathlon at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
The biathlon competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics was held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events will be held on 13 March and 17 March 2010.-Medal table:-Events:...
and cross country skiing
Cross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
The cross-country skiing competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics were held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events were held between 14 March and 21 March 2010.-Medal table:-Events:...
, and with that number they set the gold medal record for the 2010 Games.
Development and preparation
Torch Relay
The same torch design (silver with Paralympic logo) used for the Olympics was used for the Paralympic Games. On March 3, 2010, the torch began a 10-day journey from Ottawa to Vancouver. The relay involved approximately six hundred runners to carry the torch across ten Canadian cities in three provinces:- OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
– March 3 - Quebec CityQuebec CityQuebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
– March 4 - TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
– March 5 - EsquimaltEsquimalt, British ColumbiaThe Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquimalt Harbour and Royal Roads, to the northwest by the...
, BC and VictoriaVictoria, British ColumbiaVictoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
, BC – March 6 - SquamishSquamish, British ColumbiaSquamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, BC – March 7 - WhistlerWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
, BC – March 8 - LyttonLytton, British ColumbiaLytton in British Columbia, Canada, sits at the confluence of the Thompson River and Fraser River on the east side of the Fraser. The location has been inhabited by the Nlaka'pamux people for over 10,000 years, and is one of the earliest locations settled by non-natives in the Southern Interior of...
and HopeHope, British ColumbiaHope is a district municipality located at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end of the Fraser Canyon...
, BC – March 9 - Vancouver (Riley Park) and Maple RidgeMaple Ridge, British ColumbiaMaple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
, BC – March 10 - Vancouver (University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
), BC – March 11 - Vancouver, BC – March 12 (24-hour relay)
Venues
Venues for the 2010 Winter Paralympics were shared between Vancouver and Whistler, as with the 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
.
Competition venues
| Venue | Location | Sports | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre | Vancouver | Ice sledge hockey | 7,200 | |
| Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre The Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre is a new community centre and curling rink located at Hillcrest Park in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Construction started in March 2007; it has already been host to the 2009 World Junior Curling Championships but parts of the building are still under... |
Vancouver | Wheelchair curling Wheelchair curling Wheelchair curling is an adaptation of curling for athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait. Wheelchair curling is governed by the World Curling Federation, and is one of the sports in the Winter Paralympic Games.... |
6,000 | |
| Whistler Creekside | Whistler | Alpine skiing Paralympic alpine skiing Paralympic alpine skiing is an adaptation of alpine skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic alpine skiing is one of the sports in the Paralympic Winter Games... |
7,600 | |
| Whistler Paralympic Park Whistler Olympic Park The Whistler Olympic Park is the location of the Nordic events facilities for the 2010 Winter Olympics and is located in the Madeley Creek basin in the Callaghan Valley, west of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. The facility hosted the biathlon, cross-country skiing, nordic combined, and ski... |
Whistler | Biathlon Paralympic biathlon Paralympic biathlon is an adaptation of biathlon for athletes with a disability. Paralympic biathlon is one of two Nordic skiing disciplines in the Winter Paralympic Games... , Cross-country skiing Paralympic nordic skiing Paralympic Nordic skiing is a Winter Paralympics sport consisting of biathlon and cross-country skiing. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee.... |
6,000 |
Non-competition venues
| Venue | Location | Purpose | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC Place Stadium BC Place Stadium BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium located at the north side of False Creek, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It serves as the home field for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League and the Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer . Originally opened on June 19, 1983 as the... |
Vancouver | Opening ceremonies | |
| International Broadcast Centre Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre The Vancouver Convention Centre , is a convention centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; it is one of Canada's largest convention centres. With the opening of the new West Building in 2009, it now has 466,500 ft² of meeting space... |
Vancouver | Media (Broadcaster) Centre | |
| Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village 2010 Olympic Village For the location of the Olympic Village in Singapore, see Nanyang Technological University or 2010 Summer Youth Olympics#Youth Olympic Village... |
Vancouver | Paralympic Village | |
| Whistler Media Centre | Whistler | Media centre | |
| Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village The Whistler Olympic and Paralympic Village is a 2010 Winter Olympics facility in the resort town of Whistler, British Columbia. The Olympic Village is considered one of Whistler's legacy projects, in that it will be used after the Olympics to help house and train Canadian athletes. Whistler is... |
Whistler | Paralympic Village | |
| Whistler Olympic Celebration Plaza | Whistler | Awards and Closing ceremonies |
Marketing
When the mascot, Sumi, an animal guardian spirit with the wings of the ThunderbirdThunderbird (mythology)
The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a "supernatural" bird of power and strength...
and legs of a black bear, was introduced, it was the first time the Olympic and Paralympic mascots were introduced at the same time.
To commemorate the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, 17 Canadian coins were issued for general circulation. Two of the circulation coins honour Paralympic sports: wheelchair curling (released on July 11, 2007) and ice sledge hockey (released on March 18, 2010). The circulation quarters omitted a traditional phrase, Dei Gratia Regina
Dei Gratia Regina
Dei Gratia Regina is Latin for By the Grace of God, Queen. This phrase appears on the obverse of all Canadian coins to the right of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II....
, from their obverse side, making them the first godless coins in circulation since 1911.
Specifications
| Years | Weight | Diameter/Shape | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–present | 4.4 g | 23.88 mm | 94.0% steel Steel Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten... , 3.8% copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish... , 2.2% nickel Nickel Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile... plating |
Details
| Date of Issue | Sport | Artist | Mintage |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2007 | Wheelchair curling Wheelchair curling Wheelchair curling is an adaptation of curling for athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait. Wheelchair curling is governed by the World Curling Federation, and is one of the sports in the Winter Paralympic Games.... |
Glen Green | 22,000,000 |
| March 18, 2010 | Sledge hockey Sledge hockey Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey. Ice sledge hockey was invented in the early 1960s in Stockholm, Sweden at a rehabilitation center... |
Glen Green | 22,000,000 |
Participating nations
Forty-four National Paralympic CommitteeNational 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...
s (NPCs) entered athletes at the 2010 Winter Paralympics. This was an increase of five from the 39 represented at the 2006 Winter Paralympics
2006 Winter Paralympics
The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth Winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy from 10 to 19 March 2006. These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy. They were also the first Paralympics to use the new paralympics logo....
. The number in parentheses indicates the number of participants from each NPC.
A total of 506 athletes participated in the Games. This is an increase from the 476 athletes who participated in 2006.
Argentina
Argentina at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Argentina will send a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver. It will be fielding a total of two athletes, both in alpine skiing....
and Romania
Romania at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Romania sent a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver, Canada. It fielded a single athlete, in alpine skiing. It did not win a medal....
took part in the Winter Paralympic Games for the first time, as did Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Bosnia and Herzegovina will send a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver. It will be fielding a single athlete, in alpine skiing....
. All three have previously participated in several editions of the Summer Paralympics. Serbia
Serbia at the 2010 Winter Paralympics
Serbia will send a delegation to compete at the 2010 Winter Paralympics, in Vancouver. It will be fielding a single athlete, in alpine skiing....
also made its Winter Paralympics début as a distinct NPC, following its split with Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
.
Despite the overall increase of delegates and athletes, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, which participated in Turin for the 2006 Winter Paralympics, did not send athletes to Vancouver.
Sports
Five sports were on the 2010 program:- Alpine skiingAlpine skiing at the 2010 Winter ParalympicsThe alpine skiing competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics will be held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events were due to be held between 13 March and 21 March 2010...
- BiathlonBiathlon at the 2010 Winter ParalympicsThe biathlon competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics was held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events will be held on 13 March and 17 March 2010.-Medal table:-Events:...
- Cross-country skiingCross-country skiing at the 2010 Winter ParalympicsThe cross-country skiing competition of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympics were held at Whistler, British Columbia. The events were held between 14 March and 21 March 2010.-Medal table:-Events:...
- Wheelchair curlingWheelchair curling at the 2010 Winter ParalympicsThe wheelchair curling competition of the 2010 Winter Paralympics was held at the Hillcrest Park in Vancouver, Canada, from 13 March to 20 March 2010...
- Sledge hockeyIce sledge hockey at the 2010 Winter ParalympicsThe ice sledge hockey competition of the 2010 Winter Paralympics was held at the UBC Winter Sports Centre in Vancouver, Canada, from 13 March to 20 March 2010.For the first time, women were allowed to compete in ice sledge hockey at the Paralympic Games....
Calendar
In the following calendar for the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, each blue box represents an event competition, such as a qualification round, on that day. The yellow boxes represent days during which gold medal finals for a sport are held.Medal table
The top ten 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, Canada, is highlighted.
| 1 | 13 | 5 | 6 | 24 | |
| 2 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 38 | |
| 3 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 19 | |
| 4 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 | |
| 5 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 19 | |
| 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 | |
| 7 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 11 | |
| 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 11 | |
| 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 9 | |
| 10 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
Broadcasters
In Canada, the games were broadcast by Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media ConsortiumCanada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium
Established in 2007, Canada's Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium is a joint venture set up by Canadian media companies Bell Media and Rogers Media to produce the Canadian broadcasts of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the London 2012 Olympics Games...
, a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia
CTVglobemedia , was one of Canada's largest private media companies. Its operations include newspaper publishing , television broadcasting and production , radio broadcasting , and their respective Internet properties.Originally established by BCE and the Thomson family in 2001 combining CTV Inc.,...
and Rogers Media
Rogers Media
Rogers Media Inc is a subsidiary of Rogers Communications Inc., which owns Canada's largest publishing company, Rogers Publishing Limited, which has more than 70 consumer and business publications. Rogers Media Inc...
. The networks aired a greater amount of coverage than what had been shown in previous years, a total of 50 hours of coverage. Coverage included including a daily 90-minute highlight program, and live coverage of select sledge hockey matches (games involving Canada, plus the gold medal game) on CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
. The opening ceremony was broadcast live on CTV's Vancouver station CIVT-TV
CIVT-TV
CIVT-DT is a television station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Owned by Bell Media, it is part of the CTV Television Network...
, followed by an encore aired nationally on CTV and Réseau Info Sports the following afternoon. While not originally planned, CTV and RDS also aired live coverage of the closing ceremony
2010 Winter Paralympics closing ceremony
The Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Paralympics took place on March 21, 2010, beginning at 7:30 pm PST at the outdoor Whistler Medals Plaza in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.-National anthem:...
.
The games were aired on Universal Sports
Universal Sports
Universal Sports is an American television network that airs various sports, primarily those contested in the Olympic Games, including swimming, gymnastics, cycling, track and field, figure skating, skiing, bobsledding and triathlon.-Programming:...
in the United States.
Paralympic Sport TV (paralympicsport.tv), the Internet TV channel of the International Paralympic Committee
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
(IPC), offered international free online live and recorded coverage of the games, every day from 9:00 to 22:30 PST.
In New Zealand, SKY TV
SKY Network Television
Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
broadcast one hour of highlights each day, and full coverage of New Zealand athletes.
In the United Kingdom, BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
broadcast the Games, but only through the red button and online.
In Europe, Eurosport
Eurosport
Eurosport is a pan-European television sport network operated by French broadcaster TF1 Group. The network of channels are available in 59 countries, in 20 different languages providing viewers with European and international sporting events...
broadcast live the medal events in biathlon, alpine and cross-country skiing.
In France, France Télévisions
France Télévisions
France Télévisions is the French public national television broadcaster. It is a state-owned company formed from the bringing together of the public television channels France 2 and France 3 , later joined by the legally independent channels France 5 , France Ô , and France 4 France Télévisions ...
provided live coverage on its website.
In Italy, Sky Sport provided record coverage with all games live on five dedicated HD channels.
In Australia, ABC1
ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
broadcast the games.
In Norway, NRK broadcast the games. 30 hours of the Games were broadcast live. NRK-sport were critical to parts of the TV production from Vancouver, an issue they've notified to the EBU
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
. Issues such as showing biathlon
Paralympic biathlon
Paralympic biathlon is an adaptation of biathlon for athletes with a disability. Paralympic biathlon is one of two Nordic skiing disciplines in the Winter Paralympic Games...
without showing the shooting, and in cross-country skiing
Paralympic cross-country skiing
Paralympic cross-county skiing is an adaptation of cross-country skiing for athletes with a disability. Paralympic cross-country skiing is one of two Nordic skiing disciplines in the Winter Paralympic Games...
there were numerous panorama shots of the same mountain area with skiers in the distance, making it hard to follow the progress of the competition. NRK were far more pleased with the production of the ice sledge hockey and wheelchair curling
Wheelchair curling
Wheelchair curling is an adaptation of curling for athletes with a disability affecting their lower limbs or gait. Wheelchair curling is governed by the World Curling Federation, and is one of the sports in the Winter Paralympic Games....
events, which they felt reached the same level as the Olympic Games.
Legacy
In the winter sports season following the games, there was a notable increase in winter disability sports participation throughout British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
See also
- 2010 Winter Olympics2010 Winter OlympicsThe 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
- Paralympics
- Paralympiads in Canada
- 1976 Summer Paralympics1976 Summer ParalympicsThe 1976 Summer Paralympics were the fifth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Toronto, in the province of Ontario, Canada from August 3 to 11, 1976...
– TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... - 2010 Winter Paralympics – VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
—WhistlerWhistler, British ColumbiaWhistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...
- 1976 Summer Paralympics
- Royal Canadian Mint Olympic CoinsRoyal Canadian Mint Olympic coins-1976 Montreal Summer Games:Most numismatists agree that the first true numismatic collection was the Olympic Five and Ten Dollar coins for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Starting in February 1973, the Royal Canadian Mint engaged in a very ambitious program...
- Integrated Security UnitIntegrated Security UnitIntegrated Security Unit is a joint-services infrastructure security unit created to secure major events in Canada. This administrative and operational entity was first created by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2003....
External links
- Official Website of the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (www.vancouver2010.com moved to 72.35.10.20 in January 2011)
- Paralympic Sport TV, web-TV channel of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
- The Official Results Book for each discipline during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games