Winter Paralympic Games 2014 (officially XI Paralympic Winter Games) will be held in Sochi (Russia) from 7 to 16 March 2014. 692 athletes from 47 countries are expected to participate in the competition.
The sports delegation of Russia will consist of 197 people, including 67 athletes, 11 blind athletes, 119 coaches, specialists, doctors, massage therapists, employees of complex scientific groups, oilers accompanying athletes with a severe form of disability, prosthesis repair mechanics, etc. - this is the largest delegation of Russia in the history of participation of the national team in the Paralympic winter games. The average age of athletes is 32 years. 50 athletes will take part in the Paralympic Games for the first time. The Russian Paralympic team includes 18 Honored Masters of Sports, 12 Masters international class and seven Paralympic champions.
At the Games, the delegation will live in three villages: in the coastal (wheelchair curling and sledge hockey), mountain ( skiing, Paralympic snowboarding) and in an additional village on Psekhako (cross-country skiing and biathlon).
March 1 - the beginning of the arrival of teams in the villages.
On March 6, a ceremony of raising the Russian flag will take place in a mountain village.
March 7 - the opening ceremony of the Games (Fisht Arena in the Olympic Park).
March 8-16 - competitions
March 16 - Closing ceremony of the Games (Fisht Arena in the Olympic Park).
March 17 - the return of the Russian delegation to Moscow.
72 sets of medals in 5 sports will be played at the Games :
Alpine skiing - 30
Cross-country skiing - 20
Biathlon - 18
Paralympic snowboard - 2
Curling in wheelchairs - 1
Hockey sledge - 1
The program of the 2014 Games includes new disciplines: short distance in biathlon (6 sets of medals) and Paralympic snowboard cross (2 sets of medals).
Competition Schedule
As of 10/15/2013
Sledge hockey and curling competitions will be held in the Coastal Cluster ( Olympic park). Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and biathlon competitions will be held in the Mountain Cluster (Krasnaya Polyana).
Symbols of the Games
Emblem of the 2014 Paralympic Games
of the year was presented on December 12, 2009, on the day of the celebration of the first International Paralympic Day in the history of Russia. Its distinctive constituent element is the symbol of the Paralympic Movement - red, blue and green hemispheres.
Mascots of the Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014
- Luchik and Snezhinka - chosen by the Paralympians themselves. Notable champions and the athletes were honored to independently name the characters who will be their mascots at the upcoming competitions. Among the proposed variants of the mascots of the 2014 Olympics, selected by the jury for voting, there were only two fantastic characters, on which the Paralympic athletes chose.
Medals of the Paralympic Games 2014
This report is available in high definition.
The Paralympic Games are international sport competitions for the disabled, which are traditionally held after the main ones, and since 1988 - at the same stadiums and sports facilities.
This time the competition strong people- Winter Paralympic Games 2014 - held in Sochi from 7 to 16 March. 550 athletes from 45 countries will take part in them.
The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games 2014 in Sochi, incredible in scale, beauty and entertainment, was called "Breaking the Ice". (Photo by Hannah Peters | Getty Images):
The main character of the ceremony was the Firebird, she began her flight far into space and gradually approached Sochi. Fisht Stadium, March 7, 2014. (Photo by Ian Walton | Getty Images):
The words of Yulia Samoilova's song about not being discouraged, that we can all go through together, sound very symbolic at this Paralympic Games. Julia moves to wheelchair along the iceberg. (Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images):
The consolidated Russian choir, 376 people, enters the arena. (Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images):
Athletes came out of the magic bowl, consisting of 204 luminous tubes. To the music from various Russian films, Paralympic athletes proudly walked along the stands, and fabulous creatures showed them the way.
Team Canada. (Photo by Reuters | Alexander Demianchuk):
quadruple Olympic champion Alexey Ashapatov (2008, 2012 in discus and shot throw), world champion (2006), European champion (2005), ten times! champion of Russia athletics. (Photo by Reuters | Alexander Demianchuk):
The end of the opening ceremony, artists with ice floes appeared on the stage of the Fisht stadium, March 7, 2014. (Photo by Tom Pennington | Getty Images):
At the end of the ceremony, a huge icebreaker appeared on the stage, despite all the obstacles, it went forward, breaking the ice, as if overcoming barriers between people and opening up new ways of communication. When the ship sailed away, the word “together” lined up from fragments of ice, first in Russian, and then in English. And in the end, these same fragments turned into the emblem of the 2014 Paralympic Games in Sochi. (Photo by Reuters | Alexander Demianchuk):
By tradition, the opening ceremony of the Games ended with fireworks. Sochi, March 7, 2014. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
In total, 75 sets of awards will be played at the Games in five sports: biathlon, alpine skiing (there are several disciplines), wheelchair curling, cross-country skiing and ice sledge hockey. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
Competitions in downhill sitting in women's alpine skiing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. (Photo by Ian Walton | Getty Images):
Sledge hockey competition as part of the XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi at the Shayba arena. Match Czech Republic - Sweden, March 9, 2014. Sledge hockey or sledge hockey - team sports game on ice, an analogue of ice hockey for people with disabilities. The game consists in the confrontation of two teams on special sleigh. (Photo by Justin Setterfield | Getty Images):
Oksana Masters is an American athlete originally from Ukraine. Oksana was born with congenital malformations caused by radiation. Performs in ski race at 12 km, March 8, 2014. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
Cross-country skiing competition at a distance of 15 km in the "sitting" category, March 8, 2014. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
Winners in the super-G at the Paralympics among athletes with visual impairment. From left to right: Alexandra Frantseva (silver) and her guide, British athlete Kelly Gallagher (gold) and her guide, Jage Etherington from the UK (bronze) and her guide. Sochi, March 10, 2014. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski | Getty Images):
(Photo by Harry Engels | Getty Images):
Skiing. Downhill standing. (Photo by Reuters | Christian Hartmann):
Anna Schaffelhuber from Germany became a two-time Paralympic champion. She conquered gold medal in the women's super-g in the sitting category, March 8, 2014. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
An athlete from Japan in skiing competitions, March 10, 2014. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
The President is watching ski competitions, March 8, 2014. Also see the article "". (Photo by AP Photo | RIA-Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service):
Sitting downhill skiing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. (Photo by Tom Pennington | Getty Images):
Sledge hockey match Canada - Norway, March 9, 2014. (Photo by Justin Setterfield | Getty Images):
Defender Vasily Varlakov rejoices at the scored puck. Unfortunately, the Russian team lost on Saturday to the national team South Korea at the sledge hockey tournament at the Paralympic Games in Sochi. (Photo by Justin Setterfield | Getty Images):
Cross-country skiing at a distance of 20 kilometers in the standing category, March 10, 2014. (Photo by Hannah Peters | Getty Images):
Russian skier and biathlete, bronze medalist Alexander Davidovich does not hide his emotions, March 8, 2014. (Photo by Mark Kolbe | Getty Images):
Russian pedestal. In a 15 km ski race classic style the whole pedestal was occupied Russian athletes. The first to finish was Roman Petushkov. Silver for Irek Zaripov, bronze for Alexander Davidovich, March 8, 2014. (Photo by Ian Walton | Getty Images):
Alpine skiing Downhill skiing standing. In the frame, Japanese athlete Takeshi Suzuki, March 8, 2014. (Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images):
Sitting downhill skiing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics on March 8, 2014. (Photo by Ian Walton | Getty Images):
On the this moment Russia confidently takes 1st place with 7 gold medals in the team event.
Pictured: Sitting downhill skiing at the 2014 Winter Paralympics on March 9, 2014. (Photo by Hannah Peters | Getty Images):
Paralympic, like Olympic Games are considered the most famous and expected event in the field of world sports, which has its own special traditions and rituals that must be followed.
One of them isopening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.As a rule, this is a very colorful and grandiose action, the development of which involves the best screenwriters from all over the world. The organizers invite famous singers, actors, public figures, special effects professionals and directors of mass shows to participate.
The country that hosts the Olympics and Paralympics strives to make its own individual holiday for the whole world, unlike other ceremonies and surpassing them in scale and beauty. The script itself is being developed with the utmost care and secrecy. The festival is held in large venues. central stadiums, where the main competitions in many sports will be held.
The theatrical performance during the opening of the Paralympic Games symbolizes familiarity with the games, as well as with the country in which they will be held. As a rule, the participants-athletes solemnly pass through the stadium together with the flag-bearers, who bear the name of their state.
The president of the International Paralympic Committee must deliver his welcoming speech, and with words of gratitude to the organizers for the implementation sports festival announces the opening of the next Paralympic Games.
After these words, the flagpoles begin to raise Official flags three states: Greece (the country where the Games first appeared), the country that organized the Paralympics, and the country where the next Olympic Games are planned to be held. The Anthem of the Paralympic Games sounds, to the sounds of which they light olympic fire. As a rule, artillery salutes are fired into the air, a choir sounds, and a celebration begins in honor of the opening of the Paralympic Games.
The veil of secrecy, the opening and closing scenario of the Paralympic Games has been lifted. More than three thousand students of educational institutions and creative teams, as well as 2,000 volunteers who will help on the grounds and behind the scenes of the Olympic Park, will take part in mass acrobatic and dance programs.
At the end, the Paralympic flag is lowered, which, unfolded, is solemnly carried near the central stands. After that, it is handed over to the representative of the country in which the next Games should take place, as if passing the baton. They also show a little acquaintance with the city in which the next Paralympics . This tradition of the closing ceremony of the games combines several areas: sports, art and folk art. And their goal is to unite people from different parts of the world.