2018 Winter Paralympics
{{Short description|Multi-parasport event in Pyeongchang, South Korea}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox Olympic games|2018|Winter|Paralympics|
| image = The PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games Emblem.svg
| image_size = 230
| host_city = Pyeongchang, South Korea
| motto = Passion. Connected.
({{langx|ko|하나된 열정.}})
| nations = 49
| athletes = 569
| events = 80 in 6 sports
| opening = 9 March 2018
| closing = 18 March 2018
| opened_by = Moon Jae-in
{{small|President of South Korea}}
| closed_by = Andrew Parsons
{{small|President of the International Paralympic Committee}}
| cauldron = Kim Eun-jung
Seo Soon-seok
| stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium
| winter_prev = Sochi 2014
| winter_next = Beijing 2022
| summer_prev = Rio 2016
| summer_next = Tokyo 2020
}}
{{2018 Winter Paralympics}}
The 2018 Winter Paralympics ({{Korean|hangul=2018년 동계 패럴림픽|rr=2018nyeon Donggye Paereollimpik}}), the 12th Paralympic Winter Games, and also more generally known as the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, were an international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), that was held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, from 9 to 18 March 2018. They were the second Paralympics to be held in South Korea, following the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul.
569 athletes representing a record 49 National Paralympic Committees participated in these Games, including 3 newcomers Georgia, North Korea and Tajikistan. Following its debut as disciplines under the Alpine programme in Sochi, snowboarding was expanded into a separate sport with 8 additional events.
Host selection
{{Main|Bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics}}
As part of a formal agreement between the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee first established in 2001,{{cite news|title=Paralympics 2012: London to host 'first truly global Games'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/18143145|work=BBC Sport|access-date=1 August 2012}} the winner of the bid for the 2018 Winter Olympics was also to host the 2018 Winter Paralympics.
Pyeongchang was elected as host during the 123rd IOC Session in Durban in 2011, earning the required majority of at least 48 votes in the first round of voting.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/sports/2018-winter-olympics-go-to-south-korea.html|title=2018 Winter Games to Be Held in Pyeongchang, South Korea|last1=Longman|first1=Jeré|date=6 July 2011|work=The New York Times|access-date=7 June 2017|last2=Sang-hun|first2=Choe|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804175732/http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/07/sports/2018-winter-olympics-go-to-south-korea.html|archive-date=4 August 2017}}{{cite web| url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/chi-vote-for-2018-winter-games-over-in-one-round-20110706-story.html| title=Pyeongchang wins 2018 Winter Olympics| first=Philip| last=Hersh| date=6 July 2011| website=Chicago Tribune| url-status=live| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409200444/http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/chi-vote-for-2018-winter-games-over-in-one-round-20110706-story.html| archive-date=9 April 2017}}
| class="wikitable"
|+ | |
| colspan="3" | 2018 Winter Olympics bidding results | |
|---|---|
| City
! Nation ! Votes | |
| |Pyeongchang | {{KOR}}
| align=center|63 |
| |Munich | {{GER}}
| align=center|25 |
| |Annecy | {{FRA}}
| align=center|7 |
Opening ceremony
File:Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium at day for 2018 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony - 6.jpg]]
{{Main|2018 Winter Paralympics opening ceremony}}
The opening ceremony was held on 9 March 2018 at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, which was built specifically for the Winter Games.{{cite news|last1=Horwitz|first1=Josh|title=South Korea's $100 million Winter Olympics stadium will be used exactly four times|url=https://qz.com/1188832/south-koreas-100-million-winter-olympics-stadium-will-be-used-exactly-four-times/|access-date=9 March 2018|work=Quartz|date=25 January 2018}}
Closing ceremony
{{Main|2018 Winter Paralympics closing ceremony}}
Sports
Competitions in the 2018 Winter Paralympics are being held in six Winter Paralympic sports, with 80 medal events in total. Snowboarding has been expanded into a separate discipline for 2018, with 10 medal events (in 2014, two medal events in snowboarding were held within the alpine skiing programme).
- 20px{{GamesSport|Alpine skiing|Events=30|Image=No}}
- 20px{{GamesSport|Biathlon|Events=18|Image=No}}
- 20px{{GamesSport|Cross-country skiing|Events=20|Image=No}}
- 20px{{GamesSport|Para ice hockey|Events=1|Image=No}}
- 20px{{GamesSport|Snowboarding|Events=10|Image=No}}
- 20px{{GamesSport|Wheelchair curling|Events=1|Image=No}}
Calendar
In the following calendar for the 2018 Winter Paralympics, each blue box represents an event competition. The yellow boxes represent days during which medal-awarding finals for a sport are held. The number in each yellow box represents the number of finals that are contested on that day.{{cite web|url=https://www.cosport.com/paralympics/tickets.aspx|title=CoSport – Paralympic Event Tickets|website=cosport.com|access-date=9 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209194037/https://www.cosport.com/paralympics/tickets.aspx|archive-date=9 February 2018|url-status=dead}}
| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto;font-size:90%;" | |||||||
| bgcolor="#00cc33" | ● | Opening ceremony | bgcolor="#3399ff" | | Event competitions | bgcolor="#ffcc00" | | Event finals | bgcolor="#ee3333" | ● | Closing ceremony |
| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em auto;font-size:90%;" | |||||||||||
| March | Fri 9th | Sat 10th | Sun 11th | Mon 12th | Tue 13th | Wed 14th | Thu 15th | Fri 16th | Sat 17th | Sun 18th | Gold Medals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" | Ceremonies | bgcolor="#00cc33" |OC | bgcolor="#ee3333" |CC | {{n/a}} | ||||||||
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" |Alpine skiing | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |3 | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |3 | 30 | |||||||||||
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" |Biathlon | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | | | 18 | |||||||||||
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" |Cross-country skiing | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |2 | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |4 | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |6 | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |2 | 20 | |||||||||||
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" |Para ice hockey | | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |1 | 1 | |||||||||||
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" |Snowboarding | | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |5 | | | | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |5 | | | 10 | |||||||||||
| align="center"
|style="text-align:left;" |Wheelchair curling | | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#3399ff" |● | bgcolor="#ffcc00" |1 | | 1 | |||||||||||
| align="center"
!Total | 0 | 12 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 10 | 6 | 80 |
Participating National Paralympic Committees
- Russia is currently suspended by the International Paralympic Committee due to the state-sponsored doping program scandal.{{cite news|title=With one year until 2018 Winter Games, Russia's status murky|url=http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/18647088/with-one-year-2018-winter-games-pyeongchang-russia-status-murky-wake-doping-scandal |date=9 February 2017 }} However, the IPC has allowed Russian athletes to qualify as neutral participants. They fielded 30 athletes in 5 sports, participating as Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA), marching under the Paralympic flag at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Paralympic anthem played in any ceremony.{{cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1060776/ipc-allow-russian-athletes-to-compete-as-neutrals-at-pyeongchang-2018-but-maintain-suspension|title=IPC allow Russian athletes to compete as neutrals at Pyeongchang 2018 but maintain suspension|access-date=9 February 2018}}
- Four more nations competed in Pyeongchang than at the previous winter games. Georgia, North Korea and Tajikistan all made their Winter Paralympics debut,{{cite web|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2018/03/17/0200000000AEN20180317005100315.html|title=Following the Feb. 9–25 Olympic Games, the 12th Winter Paralympic Games opened March 9 in PyeongChang, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul, along with the sub-host cities of Gangneung and Jeongseon.|publisher=Yonhap News Agency|date=18 March 2018|access-date=18 March 2018}} while Hungary fielded a team after not competing in 2014. Tajikistan is the only country who had sent an athlete to these Games but not the 2018 Winter Olympics.
- In total, 133 female athletes competed at the event.{{Cite news |last=Pavitt |first=Michael |date=4 March 2022 |title=Beijing 2022 to feature record number of female athletes at Winter Paralympics |work=InsideTheGames.biz |url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1120041/beijing-2022-paralympics-female-athletes |url-status=live |access-date=4 March 2022 |archive-date=5 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220305102733/https://www.insidethegames.biz/index.php/articles/1120041/beijing-2022-paralympics-female-athletes }}
Venues
{{Main|Venues of the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics}}
=Pyeongchang Mountain cluster=
==Alpensia==
Alpensia Resort in Daegwallyeong-myeon will be the focus of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics.{{Cite web |date=30 July 2010 |title=PyeongChang 2018 Alpensia Resort and water park complete and full for summer season |url=http://www.sportsfeatures.com/olympicsnews/story/47205/pyeongchang-2018-alpensia-resort-and-water-park-complete-and-full-for-summer-season |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312052037/http://www.sportsfeatures.com/olympicsnews/story/47205/pyeongchang-2018-alpensia-resort-and-water-park-complete-and-full-for-summer-season |archive-date=12 March 2012 |access-date=23 August 2024 |website=sportsfeatures.com}}
- Alpensia Resort – biathlon, cross-country skiing
- Main Olympic Village – athletes village
- Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium – awards and opening and closing ceremonies
==Standalone venue==
- Jeongseon Alpine Centre – alpine skiing and snowboarding{{cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/jeongseon-alpine-centre-host-para-alpine-skiing-and-snowboard-2018|title=Jeongseon Alpine Centre to host Para alpine skiing and snowboard in 2018|website=paralympic.org|access-date=9 February 2018}}
=Gangneung coastal cluster=
- Gangneung Curling Centre – wheelchair curling
- Gangneung Hockey Centre – para ice hockey
Medals
{{main|2018 Winter Paralympics medal table}}
{{:2018 Winter Paralympics medal table}}
Broadcasting
Television rights were sold in various countries and territories; the IPC partnered with the IOC's streaming service Olympic Channel for online streaming coverage of these Paralympics.{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1062179/international-paralympic-committee-and-olympic-channel-join-forces-to-cover-pyeongchang-2018|title=International Paralympic Committee and Olympic Channel join forces to cover Pyeongchang 2018|work=Inside the Games|access-date=10 March 2018}}
In 2017, the European Broadcasting Union renewed its rights to the Paralympics in 25 European countries through 2020
In the United States, NBC Sports announced plans to air nearly twice as much coverage on linear television as it did in Sochi, totaling 250 hours,{{Cite web|url=https://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2018/03/07/nbc-sports-groups-coverage-of-the-2018-paralympic-games-by-the-numbers/|title=NBC Sports Group's Coverage of the 2018 Paralympic Games "By the Numbers"|date=7 March 2018}} along with extensive online streaming coverage.{{cite web|url=https://www.si.com/tech-media/2018/03/07/winter-paralympics-2018-nbc-coverage-pyeongchang|title=How to Watch—And What to Expect From—the Winter Paralympics 2018 on NBC|website=Sports Illustrated|access-date=8 March 2018}}
In Canada, the CBC announced that it would broadcast over 600 hours of coverage in English and French across its platforms, including CBC Television, Ici Radio-Canada Télé, and sublicence partners Sportsnet One and AMI-tv.{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/cbc-coverage-paralympics-1.4566000|title=CBC/Radio-Canada offer 600-plus hours of Paralympic coverage|work=CBC Sports|access-date=9 March 2018|language=en-US}}
Channel 4 returned as the Games' rightsholder in the United Kingdom, planning over 100 hours of television coverage on Channel 4 and 4seven.{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1062206/channel-4-to-broadcast-100-hours-of-paralympics-from-pyeongchang-2018|title=Channel 4 to broadcast 100 hours of Paralympics from Pyeongchang 2018|work=Inside the Games|access-date=10 March 2018}}
Tickets
Ticket prices for the 2018 Winter Paralympics were announced on 8 June 2017 and tickets went on sale on 21 August 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-ticket-prices-announced|title=PyeongChang 2018 ticket prices announced|website=paralympic.org|language=en|access-date=8 June 2017}}
Prices for sporting event tickets range from ₩10,000 to 50,000 (approx. $8–45 USD). Opening and closing ceremony tickets range from ₩10,000 to ₩140,000 (approx. $8–125 USD).{{Cite web|url=https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/press-releases/pyeongchang-2018-paralympic-winter-games-ticket-prices-announced|title=PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games Ticket Prices Announced|access-date=9 March 2018|archive-date=9 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180309224636/https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/press-releases/pyeongchang-2018-paralympic-winter-games-ticket-prices-announced|url-status=dead}}
As of 19 January, tickets to the Paralympic Games were 70% sold. (155,000 tickets out of a total of 223,353 allocated).{{cite web |title=평창패럴림픽 티켓 판매율 0.2%…관심 절실 |trans-title=PyeongChang Paralympics Ticket Selling Rate 0.2% ... An urgent concern |date=27 October 2017 |publisher=Yonhapnews |url=http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/bulletin/2017/10/27/0200000000AKR20171027067500007.HTML}}{{cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1057300/pyeongchang-2018-unveil-ticket-design-and-open-offline-sales-in-bid-to-encourage-buyers|title=Pyeongchang 2018 unveil ticket design and open offline sales in bid to encourage buyers|date=9 February 2018|access-date=9 February 2018}}{{cite web|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1059476/pyeongchang-2018-olympic-ticket-sales-rise-to-61-per-cent|title=Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic ticket sales rise to 61 per cent|access-date=9 February 2018}}
Marketing
=Emblem=
The emblem for the 2018 Winter Paralympics was unveiled on 29 October 2013 at the National Museum of Korea. It incorporates stylized renditions of the hangul letter {{lang|ko|ㅊ}} ch (as also used in the Olympic emblem), which symbolizes part of the name Pyeongchang and resembles ice crystals. The Paralympic emblem features two of these letters joined together, symbolizing equality and a "grand" festival welcoming international athletes and spectators.{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1016703/pyeonchang-2018-unveils-official-paralympic-emblem|title=Pyeonchang 2018 unveils official Paralympic emblem|date=29 October 2013|access-date=9 February 2018}}{{cite news|url=https://www.olympic.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-launches-official-emblem|title=PyeongChang 2018 Launches Official Emblem|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=12 August 2016}}
=Mascot=
{{
Main|Soohorang and Bandabi}}
The official mascots of the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics were unveiled on 2 June 2016. The Paralympic mascot, Bandabi, is an Asian black bear that symbolizes "strong will and courage".{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1038038/tiger-and-bear-mascots-unveiled-for-pyeongchang-2018-winter-olympics-and-paralympics|title=Tiger and bear mascots unveiled for Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics|date=2 June 2016|access-date=9 March 2018}}
=Cultural events=
To attract interest from residents and foreign tourists, the Korea Tourism Organization organized Snow Festival, a "Hallyu festival", to serve as cultural programming for the Paralympics. Actors Jang Keun-suk and Lee Dong-wook purchased 2,018 and 1,000 tickets for themselves and fans to attend meetups at para ice hockey games, while a K-pop concert featuring B1A4 and BtoB was also organized.{{Cite web|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=3045191|title=Stars invite fans to join them at Paralympics|website=Korea JoongAng Daily|access-date=7 March 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://kpopherald.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=201802221704558449209_2|title=Jang Keun-suk and Lee Dong-wook in 'Christmas in March' for Paralympics|work=The Korea Herald|access-date=7 March 2018}}{{Cite news|url=http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/pyeongchang2018/2018/01/12/67/7201000000AEN20180112005900320F.html|title=Actor Lee Dong-wook named honorary ambassador for PyeongChang Olympics|agency=Yonhap News Agency|access-date=7 March 2018|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20180304000029|title=[PyeongChang 2018] S. Korea to hold hallyu festival to boost Paralympics|date=4 March 2018|access-date=7 March 2018|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1062204/festival-celebrating-korean-culture-launched-to-help-promote-winter-paralympic-games|title=Festival celebrating Korean culture launched to help promote Winter Paralympic Games|work=Inside the Games|access-date=7 March 2018}}
Concerns and controversies
=North Korean relations=
{{See also|North Korea–South Korea relations|North Korea at the 2018 Winter Paralympics}}
Prior to the 2018 Winter Olympics, North Korea agreed to have its athletes march together with those of the South Korean team during the opening ceremonies, and field a unified women's hockey team. However, during a meeting in Pyeongchang between the leaders of their National Paralympic Committees, the two countries were unable to organize a similar arrangement for the Paralympics. The South Korean Paralympic Committee stated that North Korean officials had requested that the Liancourt Rocks (which are the subject of an ongoing sovereignty dispute between South Korea and Japan) be included on the Korean Unification Flag during the Paralympics. South Korea declined this request, as they considered it contradictory to IPC recommendations against political gestures.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-43327934|title='Flag dispute' halts joint Korean march|date=8 March 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=10 March 2018|language=en-GB}}
IPC president Andrew Parsons expressed disappointment over the decision, but noted that the country "respects and values the IPC's vision and mission" and had "committed to working further with the IPC to improve the lives of people with an impairment in North Korea", while also acknowledging that the IOC had "made great progress in opening up dialogue between the two nations" prior to the Olympics, and that their meeting "underlines the tremendous ability of sport to bring countries together in positive dialogue."{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/north-south-korea-march-separately-paralympics-1.4567231|title=North, South Korea to march separately in Paralympics opening ceremony|work=CBC Sports|access-date=8 March 2018|language=en-US}}
See also
{{Portal|Sports}}
Notes
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180308135255/https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/paralympics/index Pyeongchang 2018 web site]
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{{succession box
| title = Winter Paralympics
Pyeongchang
| before = Sochi
| after = Beijing
| years = XII Paralympic Winter Games (2018)
}}
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{{Paralympic Games}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Winter Paralympic Games by year
Category:Sports competitions in Gangneung
Category:Sports competitions in Pyeongchang County
Category:2018 in South Korean sport
Category:International sports competitions hosted by South Korea