Australia at the 1980 Winter Paralympics
Australia at the 1980 Winter Paralympics | |
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Australian Paralympic Committee | |
Website | www |
in Geilo | |
Competitors | 2 in 2 sports |
Medals |
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Winter Paralympics appearances (overview) | |
Following the success of the first ever 1976 Winter Paralympics in Örnsköldsvik four years earlier, Norway was selected to host the Paralympic Games in 1980.
Amongst the 18 nations represented, the 1980 Winter Paralympics at Geilo was the first time Australia had sent an official team. These games were originally known as the 2nd Olympic Winter Games for Disabled.[1]
Out of 299 participants (a 40% increase in participation in comparison to the first Paralympic Games), 229 men and 70 women, categorised into either amputees, blind/visually impaired and spinal cord injuries, competed in 63 events. Three sports were programmed to make up the 63 events in these games:
Selection of Geilo
The selection of Geilo as the Host City was decided at a joint meeting of the
Logo
The logo for the Games included the Geilo city emblem at that time stylised with a snowflake held between the antlers of two reindeer facing each other.[2]
The medal representing the 1980 Winter Paralympic Games featured a flaming torch overlapping the three interlocking wheels of the
No mascot was included in these games. Mascots were not implemented until the 1980 Summer Paralympics in Arnhem.[2]
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was held in the Geilo Idrettshallen stadium and was officially opened by HRH
Australian team
The games were divided into three impairment groups – amputees, blind and visually impaired and spinal cord injuries. Out of the 299 competitors at the games,[2] two male athletes, Peter Rickards and Kyrra Grunnsund represented Australia in the blind and visually impaired group and the amputees group respectively.[4]
Kyrra Grunsund was a below the knee amputee and competed in two alpine skiing events, the giant slalom and the slalom and one cross-country event, middle distance of 10 km.[2][5][6][7]
Peter Rickards was visually impaired with less than 10% vision and competed in two blind cross-country events: middle distance of 10 km and long distance of 20 km.[2][8][9]
The
Participating nations
The following 18 nations were those that competed in the games:
- Australia
- Austria
- Canada
- Czechoslovakia
- Denmark
- Finland
- France
- Great Britain
- Italy
- Japan
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United States
- Uganda
- West Germany
- Yugoslavia
Nations participating for the first time
- Australia, Denmark, Italy and New Zealand were the countries that were competing in the Winter Paralympic Games for the first time.[2]
Classifications
To ensure fairness at the
However it was only as of 1989 in preparation for the
Australian team classifications
5A was Rickards’ classification. This means he was in the category of ‘
2A was Grunnsund’s classification. This means he was in the category of ‘standing’ where participants had a single leg amputation below the knee.[13]
Events
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is a worldwide sport and is featured in several variations: downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super-G, super combined and team events. By combining speed and agility, athletes can travel at speed of up to 100 km/h down the slopes. Guides are used to assist blind/visually-impaired athletes and equipment is adapted to athletes needs including single ski, sit-ski or orthopaedic aids to support the athletes through the course.[14] The Paralympic Games of 1976 and 1980 featured only slalom and giant slalom disciplines. The 1984 Winter Paralympics in Innsbruck, Austria, introduced downhill alpine skiing and the super-G was added to the program at the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Lillehammer, Norway.[14]
Slalom skiing
This event is a technical event where athletes must negotiate through a high number of gates on a short course. If athletes are to miss any gates, they are disqualified.[14]
Giant slalom skiing
This event is a longer course with fewer gates compared to the slalom. The vertical drop of the course determines the number of gates on the course. Alike the slalom skiing, if an athlete misses a gate, they are disqualified.[14]
Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Kyrra Grunnsund | Men's giant slalom 2A | 2:35.20 | 9[5] |
Men's slalom 2A | 1:42.70 | 7[7] |
The Gold medal for the men's Giant slalom 2A was won by Markus Ramsauer from Austria. He finished with a time of 2:14:94.[5]
The gold medal for the Men’s Slalom 2A was won by Josef Meusburger from Austria. He finished with a time of 1:34:14.[7]
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a race either of short distance, middle distance or long distance. These distances range from 2.5 km to 20 km. This event is open to athletes with physical impairments and blind/visual impairments.[15]
Those with physical impairments, depending on the level of functionality, may use skis or sit-skis. A
All cross-country skiers in the Paralympics up until 1994 used the classical technique in all cross-country distances. However, in the 1994 Winter Paralympics in Innsbruck, skating was introduced which lead onto a new technique called the ‘free technique’.[15]
Athlete | Event | Time | Rank |
---|---|---|---|
Kyrra Grunnsund | Men's Middle Distance 10 km 2A | 0:44:11 | 9[6] |
Peter Rickards | Men's Middle Distance 10 km 5A | 0:41:57 | 10[9] |
Men's Long Distance 20 km 5A | 1:32:15 | 14[8] |
The gold medal for the men’s middle distance 10 km 2A was won by Veikki Jantunen from Finland. He finished with a time of 0:35:57.[6]
The gold medal for the men’s long distance 20 km 5A was won by Terie Loevaas from Norway. He finished with a time of 1:11:27.[9]
The gold medal for the men’s middle distance 10 km 5A was won by Morten Langereod from Norway. He finished with a time of 0:33:33.[8]
Medallists
Australia did not receive any medals at the 1980 Winter Paralympic Games.[2]
Norwegian Brit Mjaasun Oejen, winner of 5 medals, won the most medals at the games. The leading country was the host nation, Norway, and they won 54 medals in total (23 gold, 21 silver and 10 bronze).[16]
Closing ceremony
Little is known about the
See also
- Australia at the Winter Paralympics
- 1980 Winter Paralympics
- Australia at the 1980 Summer Paralympics
- Australia at the Paralympics
- Paralympic Games
References
- ^ Disabled Wintersport Australia (2016). "Racing History". Disabled Wintersport Australia. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Brittain, Ian (2012). From Stoke Mandeville to Sochi: A History of the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Champaign: Common Ground Publishing LLC.
- ^ a b International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Geilo 1980 Paralympic Medals - Official Photos & History". Official website of the Paralympic Movement. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ^ National Library of Australia (2012). "1980 Arnhem Paralympic Games 1980 Geilo Paralympic Games". Pandora Australia's Web Archive. Archived from the original on 2000-02-06. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ a b c International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Alpine Skiing at the Geilo 1980 Paralympic Winter Games Men's Giant Slalom 2A". IPC Historical Results Archive. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
- ^ a b c International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Cross-Country at the Geilo 1980 Paralympic Winter Games Men's Middle Distance 10 km 2A". IPC Historical Results Archive. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ a b c International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Alpine Skiing at the Geilo 1980 Paralympic Winter Games Men's Slalom 2A". IPC Historical Results Archive. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ a b c International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Cross-Country at the Geilo 1980 Paralympic Winter Games Men's Long Distance 20 km 5A". IPC Historical Results Archive. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ a b c International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Cross-Country at the Geilo 1980 Paralympic Winter Games Men's Middle Distance 10 km 5A". IPC Historical Results Archive. Archived from the original on 25 October 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ^ "Ron Finneran interviewed by Mick Fogarty in the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history... [nla.obj-219092551] | Digital Collection - National Library of Australia". nla.gov.au. Retrieved 2016-10-26.
- ^ International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Classification". Official website of IPC Alpine Skiing. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ^ a b International Paralympic Committee (2016). "History of Classification". Official Website of the Paralympic Movement. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
- ^ a b Canadian Paralympic Committee (2009). "WINTER SPORT CLASSIFICATION". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 2013-07-09. Retrieved 18 October 2016.
- ^ a b c d International Paralympic Committee (2016). "About the sport". Official website of IPC Alpine Skiing. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ a b c International Paralympic Committee (2016). "About the sport". Official website of IPC Biathlon and Cross Country Skiing. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ a b International Paralympic Committee (2016). "Geilo 1980 Paralympic Winter Games". IPC Historical Results Archive. Retrieved 12 October 2016.