2018 Winter Paralympics

See also: 2018 Winter Olympics

Winter
Summer

The 2018 Winter Paralympics (Korean: 평창 동계 패럴림픽; Hanja: 平昌 冬季 패럴림픽; RR: Pyeongchang Donggye Paereollimpik), officially known as the XII Paralympic Winter Games, will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and is an international winter sports athletic event that has yet to be organized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) from 9 to 18 March 2018. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), received three bids on October 15, 2009. The cities of Annecy, France in the French Alps, and Munich, Germany (host of the 1972 Summer Olympics), were also vying for the hosting rights to the 2018 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. All three applicants were selected as Candidate cities on June 22, 2010. The winning bid was announced on July 6, 2011 at the 123rd IOC Session in Durban, South Africa.

On October 29, 2013, the new emblem was revealed for the 2018 Winter Paralympic Games in preparation of the handover from Sochi on March 16, 2014.

Host selection

Main article: Bids for the 2018 Winter Olympics

Pyeongchang launched its third consecutive bid for the Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games, which ultimately won. Munich also launched a bid to host. Annecy launched a bid but failed to gain public support from locals. Their bid ultimately just received seven votes. Only these three cities made bids for these games and all three became candidates.

Sports

Competitions in the 2018 Winter Paralympics will be held in six Winter Paralympic sports, with 80 medal events in total. Snowboarding will be 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).

• Alpine skiing (30) ()
• Biathlon (18) ()
• Cross-country skiing (20) ()
• Ice sledge hockey (1) ()
• Snowboarding (10) ()
• Wheelchair curling (1) ()

Participating National Paralympic Committees

Russia possibly banned because of state-sponsored doping program.

Venezuela will participate for the first time in a Paralympic Winter Game with two skiers; one in Alpine and one in Cross Country. (Both blind)

Venues

Main article: Venues of the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics

Mountain Cluster

Alpensia

The Alpensia Resort in Daegwallyeong-myeon will be the focus of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics.

• Alpensia Resort – Biathlon, cross country skiing
• Main Olympic Village – Athletes Village
• Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium – Awards and Opening and Closing Ceremonies

Stand Alone Venue

• Jeongseon Alpine Centre – alpine skiing and snowboarding

Coastal Cluster

• Gangneung Curling Centre – Wheelchair Curling
• Gangneung Hockey Centre – Ice Sledge Hockey

Mascot

Bandabi, an Asiatic black bear, was named the official mascot of 2018 Winter Paralympics.

See also

• 2018 Winter Olympics

External links

• Pyeongchang 2018 web site