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The International Paralympic Committee was formed in 1989 to centralise the organisation of multi-disability multisport Games: namely, the Paralympics.
Although the Paralympic Games started back at Rome 1960, since the creation of the IPC the event has gone from strength to strength. As it celebrates 25 years leading the para sport movement, we look back at some historical moments in para archery’s history…
8) The first Iranian woman to win a gold medal at either a Paralympic or Olympic Games was archery’s Zahra NEMATI.
Her London 2012 title sparked a flurry of recognition for her inspiring other women in her home country to take up sport. She was awarded the 2013 Spirit of Sport Award and spoke to a panel from the United Nations on the subject.
“I felt great disappointment when I found out that my legs were paralysed,” she told Rio2016.com. “But I decided to be powerful. My disappointment and deficiencies vanished because of my hopes.”
“I said to myself: I can.”
And that’s why NEMATI took up archery in the first place. Before the car accident she suffered in 2008 she was a black belt in Taekwando.
7) Stoke Mandeville held the first World Archery Para Championships in 1998. Italian Alberto SIMONELLI won the compound men’s open category.
Ten years later, he came second at the Paralympic Games in Beijing.
6) Two-times Paralympic Champion with Great Britain, Danielle BROWN was part of the gold-winning England team trio at the able-bodied and open Commonwealth Games in 2010.
5) IPC President Sir Philip CRAVEN recently highlighted the Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games as the “ones that got everything moving” and set the organisation on the right path for the future.
Para archer Antonio REBELLO lit both the Olympic and Paralympic cauldrons in Barcelona by shooting a flaming arrow. That Olympic lighting is well broadcast, but here’s a lesser-seen clip of the Paralympic ceremony:
4) Turin 2011 saw the first-ever mixed team para archery matches at a World Archery Para Championships. Iran won the recurve and Russia the compound world titles.
3) Neroli FAIRHALL, the New Zealander who died in 2006, became the first ever Paralympic athlete to then make the jump to the able bodied Olympic Games when she competed at Los Angeles in 1984.
2) The Inspirational Archer at London 2012.
Team USA’s Matt STUTZMAN, who was born without arms and shoots with his feet, captured the attention of a huge audience because of his unusual disability-sport combination… and his ridiculous talent.
He lost the compound men’s open final to Finland’s Jere FOSBERG in one of the best matches of the event.
Matt recently relocated 2,000km to be closer to a new and state-of-the-art training centre in Salt Lake City, Utah.
1) 1948 and the very beginning.
Recognised as the forerunner of the Paralympic Games, the Stoke Mandeville Games for the Paralyzed were first held in 1948 and organised by Dr Ludwig Guttman. The sports on the programme: archery and javelin.
This event grew yearly, inspiring the first Paralympics in Rome 12 years later.
Can you think of another historic moment in para archery’s history? Tweet @worldarchery with your suggestions.
The International Paralympic Committee celebrates its 25th anniversary today.
