2014 Winter Paralympics

The 11th Winter Paralympics, the Olympics for people with physical disabilities, found after the 2014 Winter Olympics from 7 to 16 March 2014 in the Russian city of Sochi instead.

5.1 Opening Ceremony
5.2 Closing Ceremony

8.1 Krimkrise

Selection of the venue

The decision to host the Paralympics in 2014 and the Olympic Winter Games in 2014 precipitated the International Olympic Committee (IOC ) as part of its congress in Guatemala City on July 4, 2007. Sochi beat off Pyeongchang ( South Korea) and against Salzburg ( Austria ) through.

Here are the results of the ballots:

Competition venues

Sochi Olympic Park ( " coastal region " )

All rinks emerged in the Olympic Park Sochi, whereby all halls were for the first time in Olympic history with each other within walking distance. The site is located about 30 km south of the central city of Sochi in Adler directly on the Black Sea and is therefore also called " coastal region ".

At the Winter Paralympics following competition venues were used:

Sochi Olympic Stadium: Opening and closing ceremonies
Shaiba - Ice Arena: Sledge Hockey
Ice Cube Curling Centre: Wheelchair curling

Krasnaya Polyana ( " snow region" )

The snow competitions were in the area around the nearly 4000 inhabitants, the mountain village of Krasnaya Polyana ( Red Glade dt ), which is located 30 km northeast of Eagle at about 600 m altitude in the valley of the Mzymta discharged. This region has been expanded in the course of preparation for the Olympic Games to an exclusive winter resort.

At the Winter Paralympics following competition venues were used:

Laura biathlon and cross-country skiing center: biathlon and cross-country skiing
Pink Chutor Alpine Centre: Alpine Skiing
"Pink Chutor " free-style and a snowboard park: Snowboard

Participating nations

From 45 teams have at least one athlete had qualified for participation in the Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi. This is a new record with a total of 547 participants. The following three teams gave their NOCs Paralympic Winter Games debut: Brazil, Turkey and Uzbekistan. From Africa no NOK participated.

Andorra Andorra ( 1)
Belgium Belgium (2)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina (2 )
Bulgaria Bulgaria (2 )
Denmark Denmark ( 2)
Germany Germany (13 )
Finland Finland ( 13)
France (14 )
Greece Greece (1)
United Kingdom United Kingdom (12 )

Iceland Iceland ( 2)
Italy Italy ( 34)
Croatia Croatia ( 2)
Netherlands Netherlands ( 7)
Norway Norway ( 31)
Austria Austria (13 )
Poland Poland ( 8)
Romania Romania (1)
Russia Russia ( 69)
Sweden Sweden (22 )

Switzerland Switzerland ( 8)
Serbia Serbia (1)
Slovakia Slovakia (16 )
Slovenia Slovenia (1)
Spain ( 7)
Czech Republic Czech Republic (18 )
Turkey Turkey (2)
Ukraine Ukraine ( 23)
Belarus Belarus ( 10)

Argentina Argentina ( 3)
Brazil Brazil ( 2)

Chile Chile (2 )
Canada Canada ( 49)

Mexico Mexico (1)
United States United States (74 )

Armenia Armenia (1)
People's Republic of China People's Republic of China ( 10)
Iran Iran (1 )

Japan Japan (20 )
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan ( 5)
Mongolia Mongolia ( 1)

Flag of South Korea South Korea (27 )
Uzbekistan Uzbekistan ( 2)

Australia (9 )

New Zealand New Zealand ( 3)

Logo, mascot and slogan

The mascot for the XI. Winter Paralympics in Sochi make a snowflake and a light beam which ( " Snowflake" and " Ray Of Light" - in Russian: " Snezhinka " and " Luchik "). Both come, according to the attributed to her backstory, from other planets and look different. You will discover here the sport, the people there operate and develop new sports such as wheelchair curling and sledge hockey and there were admired by people. Your participation in sport has shown them that they are no different than the people on earth.

Launched in September 2012, announced official motto of the Games is " Жаркие. Зимние. Твои. "Or " hot. Cool. Yours ", " hot. Cooling. Yours ". Dmitry Chernyshenko said that the motto of describing the diversity of Russia. It also refers to " the passion of the sport, the season and the perception of Russia in the world and the Olympic games for everyone ."

Ceremonies

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the XI. Winter Paralympics were held in the Olympic Stadium Sochi on March 7, 2014 under the slogan " break the ice ". 2500 Actor acknowledged in scenes of Russian culture, such as the ballet, and themed the breakdown of barriers in society. Many of the 2,500 performers also had impairments. During the withdrawal of almost all nations participating nations gave up the Crimea to the sway of Russian flag due to the location.

After the President of the International Paralympic Committee Philip Craven, in which he called for " unprejudiced thinking" speech, Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the games. The Russian Paralympic athletes Olesja Wladykina and Sergei Shilov lit the Olympic torch in Sochi. The opening ceremony ended with a video recording of discrimination.

Closing Ceremony

As part of the closing ceremonies of the alpine skier Toby Kane of Australia, as well as Bibian Mentel - Spee, a snowboarder from the Netherlands with the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award, which is awarded at every Paralympics were excellent.

During the closing ceremony of the Paralympic flag was handed over to the Mayor of Pyeongchang, the venue for the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Sports and Schedule

Legend of the competition program shown below:

Last column: total number of decisions in individual sports

Doping

So far, a positive doping sample was taken by a participant before the games. It is the Italian Sledge hockey player Igor Stella.

Criticism and controversy

Krimkrise

In the wake of Euromaidan in Ukraine and the new transitional government after the overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych by the Ukrainian Parliament, parts of the majority ethnic Russian population of the Crimean peninsula have against the new interim government of Ukraine, which was now made up of members of far right rebelled. On 27 / 28th February 2014 the regional parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, several airports and military bases were occupied by non- labeled emblem troops. On March 1, the Duma voted for a possible use Russian military in Ukraine. This development has led to increased boycott of the Paralympics.

On 2 March 2014, the British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that due to the current crisis in the Crimea no official government representative of the British government will attend the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Prince Edward also will not travel to Sochi. On 3 March 2014, the spokeswoman for the National Security Council of the United States stated that no U.S. officials will travel. Also, the Netherlands, Austria and Norway are boycotting the Paralympics from the government. On March 5, the Federal German Government to send representatives to the Paralympics. However, a subsequent posting, depending on the evolution of the situation in the Crimea can be done yet. On March 7, the French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius declared a boycott of the Winter Paralympics by the French government.

The International Paralympic Committee said that so far no athletes would boycott the Winter Paralympics.

The Ukrainian team takes part after lengthy discussions at the Winter Paralympics. Valeri Suskewitsch, President of the National Paralympic Committee of Ukraine, but stated that the team is subject to a boycott in an escalation of the situation in the Crimea. As a sign of protest only biathlete and cross-country skiers Mykhailo Tkachenko appeared as the flag bearer at the opening ceremony. The remaining 30 delegates remained the festivities away.

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