Paralympic History

Sports for athletes with impairments have been around for over 100 years, with the first sports clubs for the deaf established in 1888 in Berlin. However, it wasn't until after World War II that these sports were widely introduced. The initial purpose was to help war veterans and civilians injured during the war. In 1944, at the request of the British Government, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann opened a spinal injuries center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. Over time, rehabilitation sports evolved into recreational and competitive sports.

On July 29, 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes, which he named the Stoke Mandeville Games. This was a significant milestone in Paralympic history, and 16 injured servicemen and women participated in archery. 1952, Dutch ex-servicemen joined the movement, and the International Stoke Mandeville Games were founded.

The Stoke Mandeville Games later became the Paralympic Games, first in Rome, Italy, in 1960. They featured 400 athletes from 23 countries. All wheelchair athletes competed in eight sports: para-athletics, wheelchair basketball, Para swimming, Para table tennis, Para archery, snooker, dartchery (a combination of darts and archery), and wheelchair fencing.

Since then, they have been held every four years. In 1976, the first Winter Games in Paralympic history were held in Sweden. Like the Summer Games, they have occurred every four years and include a Paralympics Opening Ceremony and Closing Ceremony.

Since the Summer Games of Seoul, Korea, in 1988 and the Winter Games in Albertville, France, in 1992, the Games have also taken place in the same cities and venues as the Olympics due to an agreement between the IPC and IOC.

In 1960, under the World Federation of ex-servicemen, an International Working Group on Sport for the Disabled was established to study sports problems for persons with impairments. This resulted in the creation of the International Sport Organization for the Disabled (ISOD) in 1964, which offered opportunities for athletes who could not affiliate with the International Stoke Mandeville Games, such as those with vision impairments, amputees, cerebral palsy, and paraplegics. Initially, 16 countries were affiliated with ISOD, and the organization worked hard to include blind and amputee athletes in the Toronto 1976 Paralympics and athletes with cerebral palsy in 1980 in Arnhem. Several disability-oriented international organizations, such as the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association (CPISRA) and the International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA), were founded in 1978 and 1980.

The four international organizations felt the need to coordinate the Games, so in 1982, they created the "International Co-coordinating Committee Sports for the Disabled in the World" (ICC). The ICC comprises the presidents of CPISRA, IBSA, ISMGF, and ISOD, as well as the general secretaries and one additional member.

The International Committee of Sport for the Deaf (CISS) and International Sports Federations for Persons with an Intellectual Disability (INAS-FID) joined forces in 1986. However, the deaf community maintained its own organization. Member nations pushed for increased national and regional representation within the organization. The deaf community opted not to be part of the Paralympic movement, as they did not wish to be classified as disabled. They expressed that they simply communicate differently. This decision was made in 1994. As a result, athletes who are hearing impaired have never participated in the Paralympic games.

American Olympic Committee (AOC) having been known since the 1960s as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), the organization changed its name to the USOPC (the letter P was added for the Paralympics to USOC) on June 20, 2019, becoming the first Olympic Committee in the world to include the word Paralympic in its name. Most international associations also transitioned under their Olympic committees.

Finally, on September 22, 1989, the International Paralympic Committee was founded as an international non-profit organization in Dusseldorf, Germany, to act as the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement.

The word “Paralympic” comes from the Greek preposition “para” (beside or alongside) and the word “Olympic.” It signifies that the Paralympics are the parallel Games to the Olympics and shows how the two movements exist side-by-side.

Table tennis was invented in Great Britain in the 1880s. Initially played by the upper classes, the game used household items on the dining table as equipment. Piles of books served as the net, a champagne cork as the ball, and cigar box lids as the bats. By 1900, the sport had evolved and gained popularity as an organized sport.

Several names were patented and trademarked when the sport began gaining widespread popularity in the 1890s. "Ping Pong" was owned by the English sports company John Jaques & Son, which became the market leader in the 1920s. They encouraged players to use their trademarked name from the beginning. They were successful enough that a "Ping-Pong Association" was formed in December 1901, just four days after the formation of "The Table Tennis Association."

Since its establishment, especially after the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was formed in 1926, the modern game has been called Table Tennis. The American Ping Pong Association (APPA) was created in 1928, while the United States Table Tennis Association (USATT) was founded in 1933 to oppose Ping Pong. However, Ping Pong was only trademarked in the USA, resulting in players being required to use Ping Pong branded equipment, creating a monopoly. The USATT opposed this monopoly, emphasizing that Ping Pong and Table Tennis are distinct sports. This distinction has led to several misunderstandings and legal disputes over brand misrepresentation. Despite this, the name "Ping Pong" is still used in some parts of the world, particularly in the USA, possibly due to the extensive promotion by Parker Brothers in the early 1900s. It's important to note that "Ping Pong" remains a federally registered trademark in the USA and is currently owned by Escalade Sports.

Para table tennis has been a Paralympic sport since the first games in Rome in 1960, making it one of the original Paralympic sports. Initially, only athletes in wheelchairs could participate, but standing players were added in 1976, and athletes with cerebral palsy in 1980. Today, para table tennis is open to athletes with a wide range of physical and intellectual impairments, who are placed into 11 classes for competition. Classes 1–5 are for wheelchair athletes, classes 6–10 are for standing athletes, and class 11 is for athletes with intellectual disabilities. Within each class, a higher classification means the athlete has more function.

Para table tennis is the third largest Paralympic sport in terms of athletes, with more than 40 million competitive players practicing in more than 100 countries worldwide.

In 2006, at the World Championships, Christian Lillieroos, the IPTTC (ITTF Para Table Tennis) general assembly chairman, signed the transfer of governance from the International Paralympic Table Tennis Committee to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Christian served as the ITTF Para Table Tennis chairman for ten years and was also the first Director of Sport for the International Paralympic Committee in 1999, based in the new IPC headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

On July 1, 2007, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) took over the governance of table tennis for persons with disabilities from the International Paralympic Committee.

Xiaoling Zhang

Zhang from China holds the record for winning 12 Paralympic medals from 1988 to 2008. She first represented China at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, winning the gold medal in the open event. Zhang competed in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics and won at least two medals each time—one in the singles event, one in the team event, and one in the open event in 1992 and 1996.

Natalia Partyka

She participated in the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney at age 11, being the youngest athlete to participate in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. She has competed in six consecutive games. She has won Gold in women's singles class 10 five consecutive times. She is a four-time Olympian and Poland's representative in Class 10 events. She won four consecutive Gold medals in class 10 singles and six Golds in total. Partyka was born without a right hand or forearm and competed in able-bodied events.

Ibrahim Hamadtou

After losing both arms in a train accident at age 10, Ibrahim is an Egyptian Paralympian player who is the only table tennis player in the world who holds his racket with his mouth. He is the Class 6 Champion and has won awards, including silver medals in the 2011 and 2013 African Para Table Tennis Championships. He strives to convey the message that nothing is impossible.

Brune Alexandre

She is the first person from Brazil to compete at the Olympics and Paralympic Games. A one-armed athlete, she won four Paralympic medals and will be part of the team competing at the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Michael Henry Dempsey was an American wheelchair table tennis player who competed in eight consecutive Paralympic Games from 1972 to 2000. At six months old, doctors found a skin tumor on Michael's back. They gave him an injection to stop the tumor's growth. However, the tumor spread and attached to his spinal cord, causing him to lose movement in his legs. As a result, he needed to use a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

His best rank was world no.2 in class 4 in April 2001. In the Atlanta Paralympic Games, Michael Dempsey was labeled the best Wheelchair table tennis player of all time. In singles and team events, he won three Paralympic Golds (Men’s singles class 4 categories in 1976, 1980, and 1988). He won six additional Golds at the Stoke Mandeville Games (the unofficial World championships then). He was inducted into three halls of fame for his sporting career: Ohio Wheelchair Athletic Association in 1981, the California Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2001, and the US Table Tennis Hall of Fame one year later. He was the first Wheelchair table tennis athlete inducted into the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. Dempsey was also a long-time member of the San Diego Table Tennis Association.

Jennifer Johnson is a legend of the sport, having won 14 World Championships and numerous other prestigious titles throughout her career. She developed polio at the age of five in Jamaica. She represented Jamaica at the Paralympics from 1968 to 1980 and then represented the United States at the Paralympics from 1984 to 2004. She has won an impressive 10 Paralympic medals, including three golds, making her one of the most successful para table tennis players in history. Jennifer was inducted into the Wheelchair Sports USA Athlete of the Year in 2003 and the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2012 as a testament to her lasting impact on the sport.

Jennifer is a role model for everyone and shows us what’s possible when we put our minds to it. She faced early obstacles, including a bout with polio that left her with a permanent physical disability. Her talent, hard work, and determination helped her become the top of the sport and an inspiration to millions worldwide.

Teresa Terranova has competed in four Paralympic Games, earning two gold medals in Seoul in 1988 (Women’s singles and team C4) and two bronze medals (Women’s singles and team C3-5) in 1992 and 1996. She won the team titles with Jennifer Johnson in World, Paralympic, and Parapan events. Teresa became disabled following a car accident in which she was crushed against a concrete wall, resulting in five separate breaks in her back. Teresa was inducted into the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2013.

Mitchell Seidenfeld is a three-time Paralympian and four-time Paralympic medalist (one gold, one silver, two bronze), a world champion (1990, Class 8 Singles), and an award-winning coach (2003 U.S. Olympic Committee Table Tennis Development Committee of the Year). He was inducted into the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010. Mitchell has passionately and patiently coached adults and junior players of all playing levels for over 20 years. His son, Ian Seidenfeld, is also a Paralympic table tennis player.

Tara Profitt is a Paralympian table tennis player. She won a gold medal at the 2009 ParaPan American Championships and a silver medal at the 2011 Parapan American Game in the women's doubles alongside Pamela Fontaine. She was fourth in the women's singles at the same championships. Her dedication and determination to the sport have contributed greatly.

Pamela Fontaine is a Paralympian table tennis player. Paraplegic following an automobile accident when she was 16 years old. She participated in the 1984 Summer Paralympics but retired three years later. She took up wheelchair basketball and won a bronze medal at the 1996 Summer Paralympics. Five years later, she returned to table tennis and became a 3-time silver medalist for the 2007 and 2011 Parapan America Games for both singles and doubles. In 2009, she won 2 gold medals for the same reasons and at the same place. In 2016, she participated in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. Before participating in the Paralympic games in Rio, she participated in the Slovakian and Slovenian Opens. Pamela was inducted into the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2021.

Other amazing US Table Tennis Hall of Fame inductees on the Para side:

• Norma, Jr. Bass (Player–inducted 2018) – Passed
• Ken Brooks (Player–Inducted 2023)
• Sebastian De Francesco (Player–inducted 2021)
• Sharon Frant Brooks (Contributor–inducted 2019)
• Tahl Leibovitz (Player–inducted 2015)
• Marcy Monasterial (Player–inducted 2017) – Passed
• Christian Lillieroos (Contributor--inducted 2021)

Ian Seidenfeld, Tahl Leibovitz, and Jenson Van Emburgh earned their spots at the Paris Paralympics with gold medals at the Para Pan Am Games in Santiago 2023, traveling the globe to gain cherished experience before going for gold in Paris.

Tahl Leibovitz is a six-time Paralympian and three-time Parlamic medalist (one gold, two bronze). His highest ranking was world no.2 in class 9 in July 2008, and he is now ranked world no.14 in that class. He was inducted into the United States Table Tennis Hall of Fame in 2015 and Champion of Peace for Peace & Sport. Tahl has played table tennis for over 25 years, beginning at the South Queens Boys and Girls Club in Queens. When Tahl was facing homelessness, Leibovitz slept on the streets or the train and relied on a soup kitchen and occasional shoplifting to survive. He had nowhere else to go. However, everything changed when he discovered table tennis at the South Queens Boys and Girls Club. Leibovitz played from open to close and found a sense of purpose and community there. He has represented the U.S. internationally for over 20 years and is training for Paris 2024. He graduated from New York University, is a licensed clinical social worker, and assists marginalized groups and individuals in New York City. He will be competing in the Paris Paralympics in 2024.

Ian Seidenfeld represented the United States at the 2020 Summer Paralympics in the men’s table tennis singles C6 event and won a gold medal. Seidenfeld represented the United States at the 2023 Parapan American Games and won a gold medal in the men's singles C6 event. Like his father and grandfather, the Seidenfelds have overcome many obstacles. They were born with pseudoachondroplasia dwarfism, resulting in limited bone growth, causing each of them to stand about 4 feet tall. Mitch Seidenfeld, Ian's father, remembers how learning table tennis from his father, who was a teaching professional, changed his life as a teenager.

Jenson Van Emburgh is a Paralympic bronze medalist, Parapan American Games gold medalist, and double Pan-American silver medalist. He is the son of former tennis player and 1990 Wimbledon Championships semifinalist Greg Van Emburgh. Jenson Van Emburgh has never known life beyond the confines of a wheelchair. After birth, he was paralyzed from the chest down following a spinal cord injury. But that has not stopped him from accomplishing an enormous feat. Jenson is currently ranked world no. 3 in his class.

Physical disabilities (wheelchair or standing), intellectual impairments.

• Number 1 to 5: athletes compete in a wheelchair (1 being the greatest impairment, 5 the mildest)
• 6 to 10: athletes compete standing (6 being the greatest impairment, 10 the mildest)
• 11: intellectual impairment

Resources:

https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/the-games/olympic-paralympic-games/history-paralympic-games

https://www.paralympic.org/ipc/history

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1010776/the-history-of-the-paralympic-movement

https://www.npr.org/2021/08/25/1030629549/paralympics-history-name-meaning

https://www.fox9.com/news/paralympic-table-tennis-gold-medalist-shares-secret-weapon

https://www.nbc-2.com/article/paralyzed-naples-athlete-worlds-best-ping-pong-players/60083562