The Paralympic symbols are the icons,

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

s, and symbols used by the

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; ) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nin ...

(IPC) to promote the

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...

Motto

The current Paralympic

motto A motto (derived from the Latin language, Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian language, Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a Sentence (linguistics), sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of a ...

is "Spirit in Motion". It was introduced at the

2004 Summer Paralympics The 2004 Summer Paralympics (), the 12th Summer Paralympic Games, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee, held in Athens, Greece, from 17 to 28 September ...

Symbol

Current

The symbol of the Paralympic Games consists of three red, blue, and green

crescent A crescent shape (, ) is a symbol or emblem used to represent the lunar phase (as it appears in the northern hemisphere) in the first quarter (the "sickle moon"), or by extension a symbol representing the Moon itself. In Hindu iconography, Hind ...

s encircling a single point on a white field.International Paralympic Committee – The IPC logo, motto and flag
CRWFlags.com It was modernized from the 1992 emblem by advertising agency Scholz & Friends and was formally used for the first time during the closing ceremony of the

. In October 2019, the IPC unveiled a new version of the emblem with a "stricter" geometry and brightened colours to match those used in the

Olympic rings The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses icons, flags, and symbols to represent and enhance the Olympic Games. These symbols include those commonly used during Olympic competitions such as the flame, fanfare, and theme as well as those u ...

The first Paralympic logo was created for the

1988 Summer Paralympics The 1988 Summer Paralympics () were the first Paralympics in 24 years to take place in the same city as the 1988 Summer Olympics, Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" was used officia ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

and based on a traditional

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

n decorative component called a ''pa'', two of which make up the ''

taegeuk ''Taegeuk'' (, ) is a Sino-Korean vocabulary, Sino-Korean term meaning "supreme ultimate", although it can also be translated as "great polarity / duality / extremes". The term and its overall concept is derived from the Chinese ''Taiji (philos ...

'' symbol used in the

flag of South Korea The national flag of South Korea, also known as the ''Taegeukgi'' (), consists of three components: a white rectangular background, a red and blue ''taegeuk'' in its center, accompanied by four black Bagua, trigrams, one in each corner. The p ...

. The first Paralympic flag used five identically colored ''pa''s arranged similarly to the

. In 1991, the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; , CIO) is the international, non-governmental, sports governing body of the modern Olympic Games. Founded in 1894 by Pierre de Coubertin and Demetrios Vikelas, it is based i ...

(IOC) requested that the IPS modify its logo due to its similarity to the Olympic emblem.Vom Rehabilitationssport zu den Paralympics
(

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

), Sportmuseum Leipzig As a result, a new Paralympic symbol utilizing only three ''pa''s was revealed at the

1992 Winter Paralympics The 1992 Paralympic Winter Games () were the fifth Winter Paralympics. They were the first Winter Paralympics to be celebrated with the International Olympic Committee cooperation. They were also the first ever Paralympics or a Winter Paraspo ...

. It took effect after the 1994 Winter Paralympics and officially remained through the

Paralympic emblems

Like the Olympics, each Paralympic Games has a unique emblem incorporating a version of the Paralympic symbol, the name and year of the event, and distinctive and cultural elements of the host nation. The emblems, once approved by the IPC, are used in promotional materials, by sponsors, and on Paralympic uniforms.

Flag

The Paralympic flag consists of the Paralympic symbol on a white background. The current version of the flag was first flown in 2019.

Flame and torch relay

Since the

, the Paralympic torch was used to maintain energy and keep energy dissipated before the Paralympic games. Until the

2010 Winter Paralympics The 2010 Winter Paralympics (), or the tenth Paralympic Winter Games, were held in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, from March 12 to 21, 2010. The opening ceremony took place in BC Place Stadium in Vancouver and the Closing ...

, each Organizing Committee was free to choose which method and how the Paralympic torch would be lit. Following the Games, calls emerged for a "heritage flame" to become a permanent tradition of the Paralympics. In August 2013, a ceremonial heritage flame was lit during a ceremony at

Stoke Mandeville Stadium Stoke Mandeville Stadium is the National Centre for Disability Sport in England. It is sited alongside Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire. Stoke Mandeville Stadium is owned by WheelPower, the national organisation for whe ...

, and on October 2023, it was announced that future Paralympic torch relays would officially in begin Stoke Mandeville, in a direct parallel to the traditional Olympic flame lighting in Olympia.

Medals

Paralympic

medals A medal or medallion is a small portable artistic object, a thin disc, normally of metal, carrying a design, usually on both sides. They typically have a commemorative purpose of some kind, and many are presented as awards. They may be in ...

are made of

gold-plated Gold plating is a method of depositing a thin layer of gold onto the surface of another metal, most often copper or silver (to make silver-gilt), by a chemical or electrochemical (electroplating) process. Plating refers to modern coating met ...

silver,

silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

, or

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

and are awarded to the top 3 finishers in each event. They are designed differently for each Paralympic Games.

Anthem

The Paralympic Anthem, also known as the Paralympic Hymn, is played during the raising of the Paralympic Flag. The anthem, "Hymne de l’Avenir" ( en. "Anthem of the Future"), was composed by

Thierry Darnis Thierry is a French male given name, derived from the Germanic "Theodoric". It is the cognate of German " Dietrich" and " Dieter", Italian Teodorico, Derek and Derrick, and of various forms in other European languages. It is also a surname. ...

. It was approved by the IPC in March 1996, and lyrics were added by Australian country singer

Graeme Connors Graeme Connors (born 29 April 1956) is an Australian country music singer, songwriter, and performer. Connors has released seventeen studio albums and has received fourteen Golden Guitar awards among other prestige Australian country music awa ...

in 2001.

Paralympic Oath

The Paralympic Oath is recited at every Paralympic

opening ceremony An opening ceremony, grand opening, or ribbon-cutting ceremony marks the official opening of a newly constructed location or the start of an event.

. It is a solemn promise made while holding the Paralympic Flag by one

athlete An athlete is most commonly a person who competes in one or more sports involving physical strength, speed, power, or endurance. Sometimes, the word "athlete" is used to refer specifically to sport of athletics competitors, i.e. including track ...

, judge, and coach representing, respectively, all participating competitors, officiating referees and officials, and coaches.

History

The Paralympic Oath has been taken since the first Paralympic Games and is identical to the original

Olympic Oath The Olympic Oath (distinct from the Olympic creed) is a solemn promise made by one athlete, judge or official, and one coach at the Opening Ceremony of each Olympic Games. Each oath taker is from the host nation and takes the oath on behalf of a ...

written by

Pierre de Coubertin Charles Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (; born Pierre de Frédy; 1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937), also known as Pierre de Coubertin and Baron de Coubertin, was a French educator and historian, co-founder of the International Olympic ...

, with the exception of the word 'Olympic' being substituted by 'Paralympic".

Paralympic Order

The Paralympic Order is the highest award given by the Paralympic Movement to individuals for particularly distinguished contributions to the Movement.

Post-nominals

Starting in 2022, the IPC introduced post nominals, similar to the IOC's OLY, to recognize individuals' contribution to the Paralympic movement. They was first awarded to Ragnhild Myklebust and Kevin Coombs.

Mascots

Each

has a

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

, usually an animal native to the area or, occasionally, human figures representing the host nation's cultural heritage.

References

External links

Official site of the Paralympic Movement
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paralympic Symbols Anthems of sports organizations