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Great Britain at the Paralympics

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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has participated in every summer and winter Paralympic Games.

Great Britain at the
Paralympics
Flag of the United Kingdom
IPC codeGBR
NPCBritish Paralympic Association
Websitewww.paralympics.org.uk Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Ranked 2nd
Gold
719
Silver
679
Bronze
680
Total
2,078
Summer appearances
Winter appearances

Birthplace of the Paralympic movement

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While the Olympic Games find their origins in Ancient Greece, post-war Britain, and specifically the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, is recognised as the spiritual birthplace and home of the Paralympic movement.

The first official Paralympic Games, held in Rome in 1960, were simultaneously the 9th International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games, an annual competition first devised by Dr Ludwig Guttmann in 1948 to coincide with the London Olympic Games of 1948, for soldiers with spinal cord injuries being cared for in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, and which first became an international event in 1952, when Dutch veterans requested an opportunity to compete; a delighted Dr Guttman immediately renamed the 1952 event, which once again coincided with the Summer Olympic Games, as the 1st International Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games. The 9th International Games were held in Rome to once more emphasise the relationship with its sister Olympic movement, and were designated retrospectively the first Paralympic Games.

While the Stoke Mandeville Games continue to exist as the IWAS World Games, a specific event for wheelchair and amputee athletes, the Paralympic Games evolved from its Stoke Mandeville Games roots to include a far more comprehensive range of disabilities.

Dr. Guttmann's stature in the history and lore of the Paralympic movement is therefore broadly analogous to that of Pierre de Coubertin in the birth of the Olympic Games, and Great Britain's role is compared to the role of Greece in the Olympic movement. This legacy was commemorated before each Paralympic Games since 2012 with the lighting of a 'legacy flame' at Stoke Mandeville as part of the Paralympic torch event. From 2024 onwards every Paralympic flame will first be lit in Stoke Mandeville Hospital in a deliberate echo of the ceremonies that take place before each modern Olympic Games at Olympia.

The President of the IPC, Andrew Parsons formally recognised the analogous place Great Britain and Stoke Mandeville play in the Paralympic movement to Greece and Olympia in the Olympic movement in 2024: “For everyone involved in the Paralympic Movement, Stoke Mandeville represents sacred and cherished ground...It is here 76 years ago that the visionary pioneer Sir Ludwig Guttmann created the Paralympic Movement.” [1][2]

Historical performance in Paralympic Games

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Great Britain has performed particularly well at the Summer Paralympic Games, consistently finishing among the top five in the medal tables - a marginally better performance than that achieved by Great Britain at the Olympics until the 21st century - reflecting the country's sustained connection to, and continuing deep support for, the Games. Britain has won three gold medals at the Winter Paralympics and 626 at the Summer Games. Combining these results, the British team is positioned in second place on the all-time Paralympic Games medal table.

Great Britain was the host of the first Stoke Mandeville Games to coincide with London's hosting of the 1948 Summer Olympics. These Games are the direct precurssor and inspiration of the Paralympic Games, but are not treated as an edition of those Games. Great Britain was, however, one of the co-host countries of the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville, sharing the duties with New York to coincide with the United States hosting the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and the sole host, for the first time, of the 2012 Summer Paralympics, in London. The 2012 Games were very strongly supported by the British public, and the British broadcast and print media, and the press in Great Britain continue to give significant coverage to the event, and to paralympic sport in other formats, such as para-sport in the Commonwealth Games and European Para Championships.

Paralympics GB and naming conventions

Although the country uses the name "Great Britain", athletes from Northern Ireland are entitled to compete as part of British delegations on the same terms as at the Olympic Games. Representatives of the devolved Northern Ireland government, however, have objected to the name, which they argue creates a perception that Northern Ireland is not part of the British Olympic team, and have called for the team to be renamed as Team UK.[3][4] The team is branded and promoted as Paralympics GB, though is sometimes informally and incorrectly referred to as Team GB, which is a brand specific to the teams of the British Olympic Association.

Under the terms of a long-standing settlement between the British Paralympic Association and the Paralympics Ireland, athletes from Northern Ireland can elect to represent Ireland at the Paralympics, as Northern Irish people are legally entitled, as of birthright, to dual citizenship.[5] Some athletes have represented both nations, and Bethany Firth, a paralympic swimmer from Northern Ireland, has won gold medals for both nations in the same event in back-to-back Games.

Notable British paralympians

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Great Britain's most successful Paralympian is swimmer turned cyclist Sarah Storey, who took the honour at the 2020 Summer Paralympics when she won her 16th gold medal, and 27th medal in all. Still active as of 2024, Storey now holds 19 Paralympic gold medals.

Prior to 2020, the record had been held for decades by swimmer Mike Kenny who also won 16 individual gold medals, as well as two relay silvers, in four Games.[6] Although Great Britain has competed in every Games, the British Paralympic Committee was only founded in 1989, after Kenny's retirement. Media in Britain consistently referred to the most decorated Paralympic athletes from that year, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Dave Roberts and Sarah Storey as Britain's "greatest Paralympians", occasionally with the phrase "of the modern era", attached to differentiate from the pre-BPC events.[7] The International Paralympic Committee, however, recognise all of Kenny's eighteen medals as Paralympic medals, and he remains Great Britain's most successful male Paralympian and the most successful British Paralympian in a single sport (Of her 19 gold medals, Storey won 14 in cycling and 5 in swimming).[8]

Great Britain's first Paralympic gold was earned at the 1960 Rome Games by Margaret Maughan. Her feat was recognised when Maughan was chosen to light the Paralympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[9]

Great Britain's first Winter Paralympic gold was earned at the Sochi 2014 Games by Kelly Gallagher and guide Charlotte Evans in the Women's super-G visually impaired.

Multiple athletes have won 4 medals at the Winter Paralympics for Great Britain, each in alpine skiing for blind or visually impaired athletes. Most recently by Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide Jennifer Kehoe in 2018, Jade Etherington and guide Caroline Powell in 2014. Richard Burt won 4 medals across two games in 1992 and 1994. However, Fitzpatrick and her guide Kehoe are the only athletes from this group to have won a gold medal. The only other British athletes to have won a gold medal at the Winter Paralympics are Kelly Gallagher and her guide Charlotte Evans, also in alpine skiing in 2014 and Neil Simpson and his guide and brother, Andrew in 2022, also in Alpine skiing.

Hosted Games

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In 2012, Great Britain became the second nation, the other being the United States, to have hosted the Summer Paralympic Games twice.

Games Host city Dates Nations Participants Events
1984 Summer Paralympics Stoke Mandeville 22 July – 1 August 41 1100 603
2012 Summer Paralympics London 29 August – 9 September 164 4302 503

Medal tables

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See also: All-time Paralympic Games medal table
*Red border colour indicates tournament was held on home soil.

Great Britain has never topped the medal table at the Paralympic Games. Conversely, it has never finished lower than fifth, and has only finished below second once this century, when it finished third in its home games of 2012. In all, Great Britain have finished second on the table ten times, and third a further four. In doing so, Great Britain has remained consistently near the top of the table, while the fortunes of other giants such as the United States, China and Russia have risen and fallen. In 1984 Great Britain won its greatest number of medals, 331, and gold medals, 107, at a single Games. Since those Games, the Paralympic schedule has been significantly updated and streamlined by the International Paralympic Committee, with around 40% fewer events contested, and greater numbers of countries seriously contesting those events that remain. As such, the 1984 totals are unlikely ever to be threatened. Despite this, in recent Games, Great Britain have consistently won more than one hundred medals every Games except 2004 in Athens (and even there won 94) , and have won thirty gold medals in every summer Games since the 1976 Games in Toronto.

Best results in non-medaling sports:

Multi medallists

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Athletes in bold are still active

Summer Paralympics

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Summer Paralympic multi medallists

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Athletes who have won at least three gold medals or five medals.

No. Athlete Sport(s) Years Gender Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Sarah Storey Swimming
Cycling		 1992 – 2024 F 19 8 3 30
2 Mike Kenny Swimming 1976 – 1988 M 16 2 0 18
3 Lee Pearson Equestrian 2000 - 2020 M 14 2 1 17
4 Tanni Grey-Thompson Athletics 1988 – 2000 F 11 4 1 16
David Roberts Swimming 2000 – 2008 M 11 4 1 16
6 Isabel Newstead Athletics
Shooting
Swimming		 1984–2004 F 10 4 4 18
7 Carol Bryant Athletics
Table tennis
Swimming
Wheelchair fencing		 1964–1976, 1988 F 10 2 5 17
8 Chris Holmes Swimming 1988–2000 M 9 5 1 15
9 Jody Cundy Swimming
Cycling		 1996–2024 M 9 3 1 13
10 Robin Surgeoner Swimming 1984–1988 M 9 0 0 9
Hannah Cockroft Athletics 2012–2024 F 9 0 0 9
12 Robert Matthews Athletics 1984–2004 M 8 4 1 13
13 Sophie Christiansen Equestrian 2004–2016 F 8 1 1 10
14 James Anderson Swimming 1992–2012 M 6 9 2 17
15 Valerie Robertson Archery
Athletics
Swimming
Wheelchair fencing		 1964–1976 F 6 4 2 12
16 Dick Thompson Athletics
Wheelchair basketball		 1960–1968 M 6 3 6 15
17 Darren Kenny Cycling 2004–2012 M 6 3 1 10
18 David Weir Athletics 2004–2016 M 6 2 2 10
Natasha Baker Equestrian 2012–2024 F 6 2 2 10
20 Janice Burton Swimming 1984–1996 F 5 10 5 20[10]
21 James Muirhead Swimming 1976–1984 M 5 5 3 13
22 Noel Thatcher Athletics 1984–2004 M 5 4 2 11
23 Barbara Anderson Archery
Swimming
Table tennis		 1960–1972 F 5 2 0 7
David Ellis Swimming 1964–1972 M 5 2 0 7
25 Ellie Simmonds Swimming 2008–2016 F 5 1 2 8
26 Anne Dunham Equestrian 1996–2008 F 5 1 1 7
Kadeena Cox Athletics Cycling 2016–2024 F 5 1 1 7
28 Colin Keay Athletics 1984–1988 M 5 1 0 6
29 Michael Walker Athletics 1988–1992 M 5 0 0 5
30 Sophie Wells Equestrian 2012-2024 F 4 4 2 10
31 Margaret Maughan Archery
Dartchery
Lawn bowls
Swimming		 1960–1980 F 4 2 0 6
Deborah Criddle Equestrian 2004–2012 F 4 2 0 6
33 Caroline Innes Athletics 1992–2000 F 4 1 0 5
34 Jaco Van Gass Cycling 2020-2024 M 4 0 1 5
35 James Crisp Swimming 2000–2012 M 3 6 3 12
36 Margaret McEleny Swimming 1992–2004 F 3 5 7 15
37 Jeanette Chippington Swimming
Paracanoe		 1988–2004, 2016-2020 F 3 4 7 14
38 Nigel Coultas Athletics 1988–1992 M 3 4 0 7
39 Stephen Payton Athletics 1996–2008 M 3 2 4 9
40 Giles Long Swimming 1996–2004 M 3 2 2 7
41 Poppy Maskill Swimming 2024 F 3 2 0 5
42 Alice Tai Swimming 2016, 2024 F 3 1 3 7
43 Charlotte Henshaw Swimming
Canoeing		 2012-2024 F 3 1 1 5
Reece Dunn Swimming 2020 M 3 1 1 5
45 Nicola Tustain Equestrian 2000–2004 F 3 0 3 6
46 Kenny Churchill Athletics 1992–2008 M 3 0 2 5
47 Peter Hull Swimming 1988–1992 M 3 0 0 3
Lauren Rowles Rowing 2016-2024 F 3 0 0 3
49 Martin Mansell Swimming 1984–1988 M 2 5 1 8
50 Dimitri Coutya Wheelchair Fencing 2020-2024 M 2 2 4 8
51 Jessica-Jane Applegate Swimming 2012-2020 F 2 2 3 7
52 Sophie Unwin Cycling 2020-2024 F 2 2 2 6
53 Jonnie Peacock Athletics 2012-2024 M 2 2 1 5
Stephen Bate Cycling 2016-2024 M 2 2 1 5
55 Lora Fachie Cycling 2016-2024 F 2 1 4 7
56 Stephen Clegg Swimming 2020-2024 M 2 1 2 5
57 Piers Gilliver Wheelchair Fencing 2020-2024 M 1 5 2 8
58 Claire Cashmore Swimming
Triathlon		 2008-2024 F 1 4 5 10
59 Samantha Kinghorn Athletics 2020-2024 F 1 4 1 6
60 Clare Cunningham Swimming
Triathlon		 1992–1996, 2016 F 1 4 0 5
Will Bayley Table Tennis 2012-2024 M 1 4 0 5
62 Karé Adenegan Athletics 2016–2024 F 0 5 2 7
63 Crystal Lane Cycling 2016-2020 F 0 4 1 5
64 Terry Bywater Wheelchair basketball 2000-2024 M 0 1 4 5

Multi medals at single Games

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This is a list of British athletes who have won at least two gold medals in a single Games. Ordered categorically by gold (then silver then bronze) medals earned, sports then year.

No. Athlete Sport Year Gender Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Mike Kenny   Swimming 1984 M 5 1 0 6
1988 M 5 1 0 6
3 Pauline Foulds   Swimming 1960 F 5 0 0 5
Robin Surgeoner   Swimming 1984 M 5 0 0 5
5 Dick Thompson   Athletics 1960 M 4 0 1 7
  Wheelchair basketball 0 1 1
6 Darren Kenny   Cycling 2008 M 4 1 0 5
7 Michael Walker   Athletics 1988 M 4 0 0 4
Barbara Anderson   Swimming 1960 F 3 0 0 4
  Table tennis 1 0 0
9 Janice Burton   Swimming 1992 F 3 4 0 7
10 James Crisp   Swimming 2000 M 3 2 2 7
11 Sarah Bailey   Swimming 1996 F 3 1 1 5
12 Nigel Coultas   Athletics 1988 M 3 1 0 4
Bethany Firth   Swimming 2016 F 3 1 0 4
14 Stephen Payton   Athletics 1996 M 3 0 1 4
15 Colin Keay   Athletics 1984 M 3 0 0 3
Peter Hull   Swimming 1992 M 3 0 0 3
17 Joanne Rout   Swimming 1988 F 2 3 0 5
18 Jeanette Chippington   Swimming 1996 F 2 1 2 5
19 Kadeena Cox   Athletics 2016 F 1 1 1 4
  Cycling 1 0 0
Ellie Simmonds   Swimming 2012 F 2 1 1 4
20 Thelma Young   Swimming 1988 F 2 0 2 4
21 Nicola Tustain   Equestrian 2000 F 2 0 1 3

Multi medals at a single event

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This is a list of British athletes who have won at least two gold medals in a single event at the Summer Paralympics. Ordered categorically by medals earned, sports then gold medals earned.

No. Athlete Sport Event Years Games Gender Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Sascha Kindred   Swimming Men's 200m ind. medley 1996-2016 6 M 4 1 0 5
2 Tommy Taylor   Table tennis Men's doubles 1960-1980 6 M 4 0 1 5
3 Anne Dunham   Equestrian Team open 1996-2008 4 F 4 0 0 4
4 Stephen Miller   Athletics Men's club throw F32/51 1996-2016 6 M 3 1 2 6
5 Kenny Churchill   Athletics Men's javelin throw F36 1992-2004 4 M 3 0 1 4
6 Caroline Innes   Athletics Women's 100m T36 1992-2000 3 F 2 1 0 3
7 Emma Brown   Powerlifting Women's -82 kg 2000-2004 2 F 2 0 0 2
8 Bethany Firth[11]   Swimming Women's 100m backstroke S14 2016-2020 2 F 2 0 0 0

Most successful Paralympian in a sport

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This is a list of British athletes who are the most successful Para-athletes in their sport at the Summer Paralympics. Ordered categorically by medals earned, sports then gold medals earned.

Athlete Sport Years Gender Gold Silver Bronze Total
Lee Pearson   Equestrian 2000-2020 M 14 2 1 17
Sarah Storey   Cycling 1996-2020 F 9 0 0 9
Michael Shelton   Snooker 1960-1976 M 3 1 1 5
James Fox
Pamela Relph
Laurence Whiteley
Lauren Rowles		   Rowing 2012-2020 2 0 0 2

Most appearances

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This is a list of British athletes who have competed in four or more Summer Paralympics. Active athletes are in bold. Athletes who were aged under 15 years of age and over 40 years of age are in bold.

No. Athlete Sport(s) Birth Year Games Years First/Last Age Gender Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Deanna Coates   Shooting 1954 1984 - 2012 (8) 30 - 58 F 3 3 2 8
Sarah Storey   Cycling
  Swimming		 1973 1992 - 2020 (8) 15 - 43 F 15 8 3 26
2 Isabel Newstead   Athletics
  Shooting
  Swimming		 1955 1980 - 2004 (7) 25 - 49 F 10 4 4 18
James Rawson   Table tennis 1965 1984 - 2008 (7) 19 - 43 M 5 1 2 8
Anthony Peddle   Powerlifting 1971 1988 - 2012 (7) 17 - 41 M 1 0 2 3
5 Robert Matthews   Athletics 1961 1984 - 2004 (6) 23 - 51 M 8 4 1 13
Jane Stidever   Swimming 1966 1984 - 2004 (6) 18 - 38 F 5 5 5 15
James Anderson   Swimming 1963 1992 - 2012 (6) 29 - 49 M 6 9 2 17
Jody Cundy   Cycling
  Swimming		 1978 1996 - 2016 (6) 18 - 38 M 7 0 3 10
Stephen Miller   Athletics 1980 1996 - 2016 (6) 16 - 36 M 3 1 2 6
10 Christopher Holmes   Swimming 1971 1988 - 2000 (4) 17 - 29 M 9 5 1 15
Stephen Brunt   Athletics 1960 1988 - 2000 (4) 18 - 40 M 2 1 0 3

Winter Paralympics

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No. Athlete Sport(s) Years Gender Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 Menna Fitzpatrick
Guide: Jennifer Kehoe		 Alpine Skiing 2018 F 1 2 1 4
2 Kelly Gallagher
Guide: Charlotte Evans		 Alpine Skiing 2010–2014 F 1 0 0 1
3 Jade Etherington
Guide: Caroline Powell		 Alpine Skiing 2014 F 0 3 1 4
4 Denise Smith Ice Sledge Speed Racing 1984 F 0 3 0 3
5 Richard Burt Alpine Skiing 1992–1994 M 0 1 3 4

See also

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References

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Wikinews has related news:
  1. ^ "London 2012 Paralympic Games | About Us". paralympic.org. IPC. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  2. ^ "Paris 2024: Paralympic Flame created at Stoke Mandeville". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  3. ^ "No place for 'NI', says Olympic Team GB", Belfast Telegraph, 10 March 2011
  4. ^ "Minister urges BOA to change 'erroneous Team GB name'". BBC News. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  5. ^ "Full text of the constitution" (PDF). taoiseach.gov.ie. Department of the Taoiseach. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 April 2005. Retrieved 17 February 2010.
  6. ^ "Mike Kenny (swimmer)". Paralympians' Club. Retrieved 29 August 2012.[permanent dead link]
  7. ^ "Sarah Storey Britain's greatest Paralympian of the modern era". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Meet Britain's other greatest Paralympian". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  9. ^ Olympic Broadcasting Service, channel IPC1, Paralympics International Feed, "2012 Summer Paralympics Opening Ceremonies", airdate 29 August 2012
  10. ^ Burton won 23 medals,, according to the British Paralympic Association, but three of them were in mixed relay events for which the IPC does not hold records.
  11. ^ Firth also won the same event in 2012 representing Ireland
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