United States men's national wheelchair basketball team

The United States men's national wheelchair basketball team began in 1955 when the Pam Am Jets brought wheelchair basketball to Europe at the International Stoke Mandville Games, albeit in the form of netball. Shortly following the Pan Am Jets' dominating performance at the International Stoke Mandville Games, wheelchair netball was switched to wheelchair basketball for all future Games.

United States
IWBF zoneAmericas
Paralympic Games
Appearances15
Medals Gold: 1960(2), 1964(2), 1972, 1976, 1988, 2016
Silver: 1968
Bronze: 1980, 1996, 2000, 2012
World Championships
Appearances11
MedalsGold: 1979, 1983, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2002
Silver: 1975, 1990, 2006, 2014
Bronze: 2010
Home
Away

In 1960 the inaugural Rome Paralympic Games included wheelchair basketball as one of its initial events.[1] During this inaugural 1960 Paralympic Games the wheelchair basketball competition was divided into two constructs: Class A for athletes with complete lesions, and Class B for those with incomplete lesions. With the 1960 Paralympic Games, the United States Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team competed in both classifications, resulting in two gold medals. The same occurred in the following 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games, as the United States Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team claimed both gold medals.[2]

The success of the United States Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team has continued since those initial Paralympic Games; they are the only team to win more than three gold medals in the event. Overall, they have won a total of eight gold medals, most recently in 2016.[3]

The United States Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team also competes internationally in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation's (IWBF) World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, the Parapan American Games, and the IWBF's U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships. The United States Men's National Wheelchair Basketball Team has enjoyed great success in each of these tournaments in addition to the Paralympic Games. They are the only team to have won the IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in three successive tournaments (accomplishing that feat twice; 1979-1986 & 1994-2002) and medalling in nearly every tournament held of the Parapan American Games, as well as the IWBF’s U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

History

Paralympic Games

Results achieved at the Paralympic Games:[4]

IWBF World Championships
YearHostPlace
1975[5]Bruges (Belgium)Silver
1979[6]Tampa (United States)Gold
1983[7]Halifax (Canada)Gold
1986[8]Melbourne (Australia)Gold
1990[9]Bruges (Belgium)Silver
1994[10]Edmonton (Canada)Gold
1998[10]Sydney (Australia)Gold
2002[10]Kitakyushu (Japan)Gold
2006[10]Amsterdam (Netherlands)Silver
2010[10]Birmingham (United Kingdom)Bronze
2014[10]Incheon (South Korea)Silver

Other international tournaments

Parapan American Games
YearHostPlace
1999 Mexico, Mexico City[11]Gold
2003 Argentina, Mar del Plata[11]Silver
2007 Brazil, Rio de Janeiro[11]Gold[12]
2011 Mexico, Guadalajara[11]Gold[12]
2015 Canada, Toronto[11]Gold[12]

Men's U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships [13]
YearHostPlace
1997 Canada, TorontoGold
2001 Brazil, Blumenau, Santa CatarinaBronze
2005 United Kingdom, BirminghamGold
2009 France, ParisGold

See also

References
  1. "Our Game". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  2. Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 9.
  3. National Wheelchair Basketball Association. "U.S. Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team Wins Historic Paralympic Gold Over Spain". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  4. "IPC Historical Results Archive". Official Website of the Paralympic Movement. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  5. Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 8.
  6. Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 13.
  7. Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 17.
  8. Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 23.
  9. Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 28.
  10. "World Championships". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  11. "Parapan Am Games: News & Information". Disabled World. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  12. "NWBA Athlete of the Week - Michael Paye". National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  13. "Men's U23 World Championship". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
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