In the global general classification of Olympic games, there is such a thing as deaflympic games, which, along with the Olympic and Paralympic games, attract a huge number of participants and fans from around the world. Who takes part in these competitions, and how do their participants differ from ordinary athletes? What are Deaflympics?
Deaflympics
Deaflympics are high-level sports that are held for athletes with hearing impairment. Such games until 1967 were called the International Games of the Deaf, and until 2001 - the World Games of the Deaf. They differ only in that they do not apply the effects of an audible alarm, such as the clap of a signal pistol or the whistle of a judge. During competitive tests, athletes are prohibited from using hearing aids and other devices that can improve or modify hearing. This is what Deaflympics are.
A Brief History of Deaflympics
The world's first deaf competitions took place in 1924 in Paris. Their founder was the Frenchman Eugene Ruben-Alcay.
After the completion of the games, he, together with other sports figures, founded the International Committee for the Sport of the Deaf and became its leader.
The participants in the first Deaflympics were 148 athletes representing 9 European countries. Among them was only one female representative - a swimmer from Holland. Participants in sports competitions fought for 31 sets of medals in 7 types of competitions: athletics, diving, shooting, cycling, football, swimming and tennis.
First winter games
From the very first day of its foundation, the Deaflympic Games opened every 4 years, except for the period of World War II. In 1949, the first summer games in the post-war period were held. And in the same year, the first ever Deaflympic winter games took place, which were adopted by the Austrian ski resort Seefeld. Only 5 sets of awards were won between 33 athletes from 5 countries.
In 1955, the ICSG was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an international sports federation with Olympic principles. And in 1965, Deaflympics were held in Washington - for the first time outside of Europe.
The history of the Deaflympic Games for the Soviet Union began at the 1957 Summer Games in Milan and at the 1971 Winter Games in Swiss Adelboden. Despite the large-scale development of sports throughout the Soviet space, until that time little was known about what the Deaflympics are, not to mention participation in them.
Union attempt
In the 80-90s, an attempt was made to combine the Deaflympics with the Paralympic movement. But this venture was faced with a number of organizational issues related to the peculiarities of communicating with athletes, the need to place a large number of sign language interpreters, etc. It was necessary to realize what sign-language games are and what difficulties may arise in the process of organizing them together with the Paralympic direction.
For this reason, the ICSG left the composition of the International Paralympic Committee in 1995, but retained the recognition of the IOC and its independence along with other Olympic organizations.
From the moment of its foundation to the present, 22 summer and 16 winter games have been organized. They were held at regular intervals, with the exception of the war period and 2011, when the Slovak organizers a few days before the start of the 17 winter games announced that they were not ready to accept them due to funding problems. Thus, 17 Deaflympics did not take place. After investigating the reasons for the event’s disruption, the Slovak Supreme Court found the head of the organizing committee guilty of fraud and sentenced to 14.5 years in prison.
The number of participants in the Deaflympic Games is steadily growing from competitions to competitions. And the event is gaining popularity among fans of sports and sporting events. In 22-year competitions in Sofia 2711 athletes from 83 countries of the world participated.
Russia accepts games
18 Deaflympics will be hosted by Magnitogorsk and Khanty-Mansiysk. The opening is scheduled for March 28, and they will end on April 5, 2015. For the first time Russia is the organizer of these competitions. During the competition sets of awards will be played in 5 sports disciplines: skiing, curling, snowboarding, hockey and cross-country skiing. 344 athletes - representatives of 27 countries of the world - will compete for medals. The delegation of Russia is the largest in composition.
The mascot of the games will be the Mammoth from the cartoon of the same name, and the symbol - an image of a black grouse, similar to a hand - is the main means of communication between the deaf and hard of hearing.