The Most Successful Countries at Paralympic Games

Brazil made its debut at the Summer Paralympic Games in Heidelberg, Germany in 1972. It sent athletes to compete in track and field, archery, swimming, and wheelchair basketball. The country didn’t win any medals in 1972, but did win its first medal — a silver — in 1976.

Denmark entered the Paralympics the first time in 1968, sending eight competitors in swimming and table tennis. It was until 1976 that Denmark won its first medals when Jorn Nielsen captured three gold medals in track and field.

South Korea notably hosted the Summer Paralympics Games in 1988. And in 2018, South Korea was home to the Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang. This year, 158 South Koreans will compete in the games.

Tel Aviv, Israel was the site of the 1968 Paralympic Games. That year the country won 62 medals, of which 18 were gold, placing it third on the medal count. Although it’s hosted a Paralympics, Israel has never hosted the Olympics.

Switzerland debuted at the Paralympics Games in 1960, when the first Paralympics was held in Rome. Although the country sent only two athletes to Rome, they nevertheless won four medals. As you might expect for a snowy country, Switzerland has participated in every Winter Paralympics since its inception in 1976.

Except for 1968, Finland has won a medal at every Paralympics Games its competed in since 1960. The country scored its most medals between the late 1970s and 1980s, when it won 50 or more medals multiple times.

Under an agreement between the International Paralympics Committee and the International Olympic Committee, the Olympics and Paralympics are held at the same site. That is why Tokyo hosted both the Olympics and the Paralympic Games this year. The country previously hosted the 1964 Summer Paralympics Games and the 1998 Winter Paralympics Games.

After gaining its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine competed in the Paralympics Games for the first time in 1996 in Atlanta. It’s first appearance at the Winter Paralympics came in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.

The last time Russia participated in the Paralympics as the former Soviet Union was in 1988. After the Soviet Union broke apart, Russia competed as part of the Unified Team in 1992. This year, Russian athletes will compete under the Russian Paralympic Committee, or RPC, banner.

Rome hosted the first Paralympic Games in 1960, and Italy has competed in every summer games since that inaugural year. The country made its debut at the Winter Paralympics in 1980.

Except for the second summer games in 1964, Norway has sent athletes to every summer and winter Paralympics since the beginning of the events. At the inaugural event in 1960 Norway sent 11 athletes. The Scandinavian country has hosted two winter Paralympics: the 1980 edition in Geilo and 1994 in Lillehammer.

In 1992, Spain hosted the Summer Paralympic Games, and the country’s athletes have competed in 10 of the 12 summer games. Spain did well in the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, but their achievements were tainted by a cheating scandal. Its basketball team was stripped of basketball gold medals when it was revealed not all members of the team had undergone tests to prove an intellectual disability,

Austria won its most medals at the Summer Games in 1976, with a total of 50. In 2008, it won only six, its lowest total and the first time it failed to win10 medals. Austria has hosted two winter games, in 1984 and 1988, both in Innsbruck.

Sweden hosted the first Winter Paralympics Games in 1976 in Örnsköldsvik. Its first summer games medal came at the 1964 games in Tokyo.

The Netherlands has participated in every Summer Paralympics since its inception in 1960. Its most successful games were at the 1984 Paralympics in both New York City and Stoke Mandeville in England when the country won 135 medals, 55 of which were gold. In 1980, the Netherlands hosted the summer event in Arnhem.

Poland has sent some of the best swimmers to the Summer Paralympics. The country’s winningest swimmer, Arkadiusz Pawlowski, won at least one medal at each of the six Paralympics between 1980 and 2000.

Before German unification, East and West Germany sent two different teams to the Paralympics. From 1960 to 1988, West German athletes competed under the flag of the Federal Republic of Germany, or West Germany. Athletes from the East German Democratic Republic competed in the Paralympics for the first and last time in 1984.

Although the countries are now unified, the International Paralympic Committee keeps two separate records for Germany (1960-64 and 1992-present) and West Germany. Germany has been at every Winter Paralympics since the first in 1976. It also hosted the summer games in 1972 in Heidelberg.

In 1984, China debuted at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in New York City and Stoke Mandeville in England. In 2022, China will host the Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

Australian athletes have been consistent performers at every Summer Paralympics since 1960, with the lone exception the 1976 Winter Paralympics. In 2000, the country hosted the Summer Paralympics in Sydney. Its participants have done well in the athletics competition (a catch-all category that is mostly track and field matches), and swimming.

Paris will be the homebase of the 2024 Summer Paralympics. The country has sent athletes to every summer and winter Paralympics beginning in 1960. In 1992, it hosted the Winter Paralympics.

Canada first participated in the Summer Paralympics in 1968. In 1976, the Summer Paralympics was held in Toronto. The country also hosted the Winter Paralympics in 2010 in Vancouver.

Athletes from the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland compete under the flag of Great Britain. They’ve participated in every summer and winter Paralympics since the games began. In 1984, Great Britain co-hosted the summer games in Stoke Mandeville and New York. In 2012, it was the sole host of the Summer Paralympics in London.

Like Great Britain, the United States has sent athletes to every summer and winter Paralympics. In addition to sharing hosting duties with Great Britain in 1984, the U.S.hosted the 1996 Summer Paralympics in Atlanta and 2002 Winter Paralympics in Salt Lake City.