Soviet Union at the Paralympics
Encyclopedia
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics competed for the first and only time at the Summer Paralympic Games
in 1988
. The country also competed for the first and only time at the Winter Paralympic Games
that same year
.
Soviet athletes won 21 gold medals, 20 silver and 15 bronze at the Summer Games, as well as two bronze medals at the Winter Games.
The USSR's most successful Paralympian was Vadim Kalmykov
, with four gold medals in track and field
.
The only athlete to win a Paralympic medal for the USSR at the Winter Games was Valentina Grigoryeva
, who won two bronze medals in cross-country skiing
.
Summer Paralympic Games
The Summer Paralympic Games or the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event, where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years,...
in 1988
1988 Summer Paralympics
The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years that take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" came into official use.- Sports :...
. The country also competed for the first and only time at the Winter Paralympic Games
Winter Paralympic Games
The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. The Winter Paralympic Games are held every four years directly following the Winter...
that same year
1988 Winter Paralympics
The 1988 Winter Paralympic Games, were the fourth Winter Paralympics, held again in Innsbruck, Austria. These were the last Winter Paralympics to be held in a separate location from the Winter Olympics. Beginning in 1992, the Olympics and the Paralympics were held in the same city or in an adjacent...
.
Soviet athletes won 21 gold medals, 20 silver and 15 bronze at the Summer Games, as well as two bronze medals at the Winter Games.
The USSR's most successful Paralympian was Vadim Kalmykov
Vadim Kalmykov
Vadim Kalmykov is a former Soviet athlete.He represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, competing in four events in track and field and winning gold in all four. He was the USSR's most successful athlete at the 1988 Games...
, with four gold medals in track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
.
The only athlete to win a Paralympic medal for the USSR at the Winter Games was Valentina Grigoryeva
Valentina Grigoryeva
Valentina Grigoryeva is a former Soviet cross-country skier.She represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Winter Paralympics in Innsbruck, and won two bronze medals, in the five kilometre and ten kilometre events...
, who won two bronze medals in cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
.