The goal of the Paralympic
Programme is to provide exciting and inspiring events at the Paralympic Games.
The Programme should also allow athletes to achieve competitive excellence while
engaging and entertaining spectators. The Paralympic Programme is therefore
based on Guiding Principles categorised by three core-characteristics: Quality,
Quantity and Universality.
Using these principles and input from various stakeholders, the IPC created a
number of achievable objectives for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Programme:
In agreement with the IPC/IOC Agreement, there are to be 21 sports and
disciplines, with a total of 471 Medal Events (see chart below). These will take
place over 12 days of competition (including the Opening Ceremony). The Games
will involve approximately 4,000 athletes (1,800 wheelchair users), 2,200 Team
Officials and 800 Games Officials.
Of the athletes included in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics, targets have been
set by gender 65% are to be male and 35% female.
Additionally the IPC has looked at targeting greater diversity in terms of
representation of the five disability groups (Amputee, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal
Injury, Visually Impaired and Les Autres).
The most significant change to the Paralympic Programme for Beijing 2008 is
the addition of the sport of Rowing. Other important changes include:
The addition of Men's and Womens Individual Compound events in Archery
The addition of an alternate position in the Boccia BC3 Pairs (Team) event
An additional Equestrian event (Grade 1 has been split into Individual Grade
1a and Individual Grade 1b)
The addition of the Two Person Keelboat event in Sailing
Two Womens Volleyball (Sitting) teams to make an eight team tournament
Two Women's Wheelchair Basketball teams to make a ten team tournament.
The Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Qualification Guide (published in June
2006) outlines the qualification criteria necessary to compete at the Beijing
2008 Paralympic Games. It also includes a breakdown of Athlete Quotas, ie, how
many female and male athlete quotas there are per sport/discipline. This
document is available at www.paralympic.org in the Paralympic Games section,
under Beijing 2008.
Medal Event Quotas
Sport Men Women Mixed Total
Archery 5 4 9
Athletics 100 60 160
Boccia 7 7
Cycling* 28 15 43
Equestrian 11 11
Football 5-a-Side 1 1
Football 7-a-Side 1 1
Goalball 1 1 2
Judo 7 6 13
Powerlifting 10 10 20
Rowing 1 1 2 4
Sailing 3 3
Shooting 3 3 6 12
Swimming* 70 70 140
Table Tennis 13 11 24
Volleyball (Sitting) 1 1 2
Wheelchair Basketball 1 1 2
Wheelchair Rugby 1 1
Wheelchair Fencing 6 4 10
Wheelchair Tennis 2 2 2 6
TOTAL 250 189 32 471
Percent 53% 40% 7%
* Pending finalisation of medal events programme
