25th Anniversary of Bucks Hosting Paralympic Games
It was 25 years ago today that the last Paralympic Games to be held on British soil were hosted at Stoke Mandeville, the Buckinghamshire venue stepped in to host the games after the initial venue, Champagne, Illinois pulled out less than four months ahead of the games.
The Games in Stoke Mandeville, were held from 22 July to 1 August. The British Paraplegic Sports Society (BPSS) organized the Games at the Stoke Mandeville Stadium and more than 1,100 athletes from 41 countries competed in 14 events over the 10 days of competition.
The Opening Ceremony on 22 July was attended by HRH Prince Charles, who officially opened the Games. A crowd of 3,000 cheered on the teams in the wheel-past. Athletes competed in 10 events: Archery, Athletics, Basketball, Fencing, Lawn Bowls, Powerlifting, Shooting, Snooker, Swimming and Table Tennis. For the first time, a wheelchair marathon was held.
The games were jointly hosted with New York. which hosted the competitions for les autres athletes, cerebral palsy athletes and visually impaired athletes while athletes with spinal cord disabilities competed in Stoke Mandeville.
Each of the disability groups produced outstanding performances. American amputee athlete Jim Martinson set a new world record in the 100m wheelchair race in 17.13 seconds. Mustapha Badid of France took the gold in the 800m wheelchair race with a time of 2:17.27 minutes. Charles Reid of the USA gained recognition as a top cerebral palsy athlete when he took the gold in Powerlifting, a demonstration event at the Games. Visually impaired athlete Winford Haynes of the US won the gold in the 100m dash in 11.78 seconds. At the final medal tally, the USA topped the table with 276 medals, 101 of which were gold. Britain was next with 240 medals, including 75 gold.
Many world and Paralympic records were broken and rewritten, mainly in Athletics. Swiss Reiner Kuschall and American Bart Dodson dominated the men's events and won two gold medals each. Swiss Heinz Frei raced to gold in the 1500m, 5000m and the marathon. Frank Nietlespach of Switzerland took four golds and one silver in the wheelchair racing events. Canadian Rick Hansen, who later wheeled around the world on his Man-in-Motion Tour, won gold medals in the 1500m and the marathon.
Ingrid Lauridson of Denmark topped the women competitors on the track with six gold medals, while American Marcia Bevard reaped six golds in Swimming. In men's Basketball, the French team emerged as a new force. Recovering from defeat by Great Britain in the group stages they beat the Dutch team 68:61 to take their first Paralympic gold medal. The German women's team successfully defended its gold medal won during the 1980 Paralympic Games in Arnhem with a 43:32 victory over Israel.
The Games were a success, despite the short four-month preparation period. The organisers agreed that the Games should in future be held at the same venue, as the success of the Paralympics calls for unified representation and participation. Ever since the games have been held in the same venue as the Olympic Games.
Many Buckinghamshire residents answered the call to support the games as volunteers, officials and spectators to help ensure that the international athletes received a first-class welcome. If you were involved in the games or have pictures, memorabilia or memories of the games we would love to hear from you. Please send your recollections or copies of any pictures to Ian Barham, Buckinghamshire Manager for the 2012 Games to
ibarham[at]bucks2012.org or by post enclosing a return stamped addressed envelope to Ian Barham, C/O Aylesbury Vale District Council, 66 High Street, Aylesbury, Bucks. HP20 1SD
The 25th Anniversary Celebrations will continue until the end of August when members of the 1984 Great Britain Paralympic Team will return to Stoke Mandeville to support the European Womens Wheelchair Basketball Competition which is being held between August 26th-31st.
Adapted from the International Paralympic Committee History of the Paralympic Games.
Did You Know??
As well as Stoke Mandeville Stadium, event venues included the Aylesbury Civic Centre which hosted the Weightlifting Competitions, the Grange School which was home to the Archery Competitions and Aylesbury Grammar School
During the Games competitors sent over 8,000 postcards from a Special Collection Point at Stoke Mandeville Stadium
The Compere for the Opening Ceremony was toothy TV presenter Esther Ransen
The 78 competitors for the Wheelchair Marathon set off at 7.15a.m. from the start at Chalfont St Peter, before returning to Stoke Mandeville via Amersham and Wendover.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were number one in the British Pop Charts in July 1984 with "Two Tribes"
The Paralympic Torch, which still stands at Stoke Mandevile Stadium, was manufactured and installed by students from the Aylesbury Training Centre in Gatehouse Close
In 1984 Stoke Mandeville Stadium was known as the Ludvig Guttmann Centre, named after the pioneer of disability sport.
Also on July 22nd 1984, Nikki Lauda driving a Maclaren won the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch
The Aylesbury Sea Scouts carried the Paralympic Flag into the stadium for the opening ceremony
An estimated 5,600 meals were served daily to athletes and officials throughout the games
According to a Bucks Herald report, the cost of hosting the Games was £450,000 of which £50,000 was recouped through the sale of merchandising
Uncovering Buckinghamshire's Olympic & Paralympic HeritageDid you know that Lord Desborough, the President of the 1st London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 1908 was a Buckinghamshire resident and that his sporting CV went far beyond this single great feat?