History of special Olympics

The first Special Olympics was held in 1968, with a history of 36 years. The sports meeting is held every two years, alternating between summer and winter. Summer sports meeting has more events than winter sports meeting, which has great influence. The 2007 Special World Summer Olympics will be held in Shanghai, China.

Special Olympics is different from the Olympic Games (International Olympic Games) and Paralympic Games (Paralympics). First, the participants are different. Special Olympics athletes are usually mentally retarded people with IQ below 70; Second, the purpose is different. Special Olympics emphasizes not only competition and competition, but also participation-"Let me win, if I can't win, let me try bravely". Third, the competition rules are special, which fully embodies the principle of equal participation and grouping competition according to ability. Athletes with mental retardation participating in various competitions should be grouped according to age, gender and athletic ability, and athletes with the same gender, similar age and similar athletic level should be grouped in the same group.

The 2003 World Special Summer Olympic Games is the 1 1 th Summer Games in the history of Special Olympics, which was held in Ireland from June 2/kloc-0 to 29, 2003. This is by far the largest sports event with the largest number of participants, and it is also the largest sports event in the world in 2003. More than 50 Special Olympics athletes, coaches, referees, athletes' parents, politicians, VIPs, experts, scholars and observers from more than 65438 countries and regions attended the Games, with a total number of about 40,000 people. About 6.5438+0.5 million people indirectly participated in the related activities of the Games (such as the torch relay of the Special Olympics and fund-raising activities in European countries).

At the opening ceremony of the World Special Olympics in Ireland in 2003, the dignitaries and celebrities present were: Irish President mary mcaleese, former South African President, Nelson V Mandela, a symbol of freedom and peace, newly elected California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, boxing champion Muhammad Ali, and the hero of the film "007", Mr. Pierce V. Brosnan. Colin Farrell, a world-famous young man, the leading actor in Spy Trap and Telephone Booth, Bono of famous singer U2, Bonjovi of famous singer, Westlife of famous men's group and The Corres of famous women's band.

The Special Olympics has become a stage for the glory and dreams of thousands of Special Olympics athletes, enabling people with intellectual disabilities to exert their potential to the extreme with the attention and applause of the whole world, full of self-esteem, self-confidence and self-improvement, and shining with the warmth and brilliance of "humanity, humanism and humanity".

1963, the wife of American e.k. shriver once held a summer camp for children and adults with mental or intellectual disabilities. She found that their sports and physical activity ability far exceeded the imagination of experts.

In 1968, the first Special Olympics was held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was funded by the Kennedy Foundation and organized by shriver. He actively advocated and devoted himself to the Special Olympics.

1988, the international Olympic Committee signed a historic agreement and officially recognized the special Olympics. China Sports Association for People with Mental Retardation was founded on 1985. In the same year, he joined the International Special Olympics Organization and participated in 1987, 199 1, 1995, 1999 Summer Special Olympics.

At present, more than 50 countries and regions, such as the United States, Britain, Canada, Poland, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, Kenya, China, etc. 150 have participated in the International Special Olympics, and1200,000 people with mental retardation have participated in sports activities and various competitions around the world. Because the Special Olympics is a mass sports meeting for people with mental retardation, and it has only a basic level, the International Olympic Committee allows people with mental retardation with particularly excellent sports performance to participate in the Paralympic Games.

Before 1975, the Special Olympics were held irregularly, and * * * was held four times. It is held every four years from 1975. Special Olympics events include baseball, bowling, hockey, gymnastics (floor exercise, somersault, balance beam), skating (50m, 1 00m, 400m and figure skating),1m diving and swimming (25m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 25m butterfly,/kloc- 1000m, 400m relay race, high jump, standing long jump, soft softball throwing, pentathlon), volleyball (mixed), wheelchair race (25m race, 30m curve obstacle race, 1000m relay race), etc.

1962 in June, Ms. eunice Kennedy shriver held a summer camp for some mentally retarded children and adults in her hometown of Maryland, and she came up with the idea of establishing the Special Olympics movement.

1968 On July 20th, Ms Shriver held the first World Summer Special Olympics in Soldier Square in Chicago, Illinois, USA. 65,438+0,000 athletes from 26 states in the United States and Canada participated in track and field, swimming and hockey competitions.

◆ 1968 12, special olympics international, founded in the district of Columbia, USA, is a non-profit charity organization, aiming at supporting sports for children and adults with mental retardation.

1977 In February, the first World Winter Special Olympics was held in Colorado, USA. More than 500 athletes participated in skiing and figure skating competitions. Therefore, the World Special Olympics has developed into two major events in winter and summer.

◆1980-1981year, the Special Olympics began to implement the coach training plan and issued certificates, and published the first issue of the Sports Skills Guide.

◆1In July, 1987, more than 30,000 law enforcement officers from the United States and seven other countries participated in the 26,000-mile Torch Run of Special Olympics law enforcement officers to promote the Special Olympics, and * * * raised more than 2 million US dollars in sponsorship fees.

General situation of previous special summer Olympic Games

When the session is held, the number of athletes from participating countries or regions.

1 1968 Chicago, USA 2 1000

2 1970 Chicago, USA 3 2000

3 1972 Los Angeles, USA 2500

4 1975 Michigan, USA 10 3200

5 1979 new york, USA

6 1983 Louisiana, USA 4000

7 1987 Indiana, USA 70 4700

8 199 1 Minneapolis (USA)

9 1995 New Haven (USA)

10 1999 Raleigh (USA) 152 7000

1 1 2003 Dublin (Ireland)

12 2007

General situation of previous special Olympics

When the session is held, the number of athletes from participating countries or regions.

1 1977 Colorado 500, USA

2 198 1 Vermont 600, USA

3 1985 Park City (USA) 14

4 1989 Renault (USA) 18 1000

5 1993 Austria 50 1600

6 1997 Toronto, Canada 80 2000

7 200 1 Alaska (USA) 70 1800

8 2005 Nagano (Japan)