South Africa at the Paralympics

South Africa at the
Paralympics
IPC code RSA
NPC South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee
Website www.sascoc.co.za
Medals
Gold
0
Silver
0
Bronze
0
Total
0
Summer appearances
Winter appearances

South Africa has competed at both the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.

The country made its Paralympic début at the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan, where it sent nine athletes to compete in archery, athletics, swimming and weightlifting. They finished sixth on the medal table with nineteen medals, of which eight gold. Paradoxically, South Africa thus began to compete at the Paralympics just after being barred from competing at the Olympics. South Africa had been banned from the Olympic Games following the passing of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 1761 which, in 1962, condemned the country's policy of apartheid. South Africa was not, however, banned from the Paralympics, and was therefore present at the 1964 Paralympics despite being absent from the 1964 Summer Olympics.[1]

The country continued to compete at the Summer Paralympics until 1976, included.[2]

The States-General (national Parliament) of the Netherlands, the host country of the 1980 Summer Paralympics, adopted a motion declaring South Africa's participation in the 1980 Games "undesirable".[3] South Africa was subsequently absent from the Paralympic Games until 1992, at which point it also made its return to the Olympics, in the context of the dismantling of apartheid. It has competed at the Summer Games ever since.[4]

South Africa made its Winter Paralympics début at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan. It thus became the second African country to compete at the Winter Paralympics, following Uganda in 1976. South Africa has competed at every edition of the Winter Paralympics since then. To date, only one athlete, alpine skier Bruce Warner, has represented South Africa at the Winter Games. He has yet to win a medal.[5]

Medal tables

Medals by Summer Games

Games Gold Silver Bronze Total Rank
1964 Tokyo883196
1968 Tel Aviv91072610
1972 Heidelberg161213414
1976 Toronto69112619
1980-1988 Did not compete
1992 Barcelona412727
1996 Atlanta108102815
2000 Sydney1312133813
2004 Athens151373513
2008 Beijing2136306
2012 London81292917
2016 Rio de Janeiro7641722

See also

References

  1. ↑ South Africa at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
  2. ↑ South Africa at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
  3. ↑ "'The Netherlands against Apartheid' - 1970s", International Institute of Social History
  4. ↑ South Africa at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
  5. ↑ South Africa at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
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