With the historic Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games now in the record books...
Canada’s Summer sport athletes are now on the road to the London 2012 Paralympic Games. In less than a year, London will welcome the world to the 2012 Games, from August 29 to September 9. To continue Canada's tradition as a leading Paralympic nation and to build upon its recent success of the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, the Canadian Paralympic Committee has set its goal for Team Canada to post a top-8 finish in the gold-medal count.
The London 2012 Paralympic Games will be the biggest Paralympics yet, with 20 sports involving participants from 163 competing nations. The UK is considered to be the birthplace of the Paralympic Games and has a strong history in Paralympic sport. In 1948, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organised a wheelchair archery competition at Stoke Mandeville hospital for World War II soldiers with spinal cord injuries. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined and the International Paralympic Movement was born. In preparing for the 2012 Paralympics, London has been praised for venue readiness and accessibility.
An estimated 4,000 athletes from all around the world plan to compete...
503 gold medals are to be awarded, and Canada is primed to continue its success at the Summer Games. Team Canada hopes to compete in 16 of the 20 sports. Team Canada will be officially named in the Summer 2012, when athletes have qualified according to their sport and the IPC standards. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games, Canada had sent a total of 144 athletes.
Canada’s Chef de mission, Dr Gaetan Tardif, was announced on August 19th 2010, while the Assistant Chef de mission’s announcement, Elisabeth Walker-Young, was made on December 2nd 2010. The remaining 16 members of the Canadian Mission Staff Team were 
subsequently named on April 28th 2011. This group will lead, manage and support Team Canada in London.
Paralympic sport venues will be spread across London in many different locations, including the Olympic Stadium and the ExCel Center, as well as the impressive Aquatics Centre and The Royal Artillery Barracks.
The London Games will be broadcast in Europe, with UK’s Channel 4 planning to broadcast over 150 hours of television coverage. Live web streaming and social media will play a big part in broadcasting news and updates for the Games.
For more information on our summer athletes in the lead up to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, follow us on Facebook or Twitter, and consult our Events section to attend Paralympic sport competitions in your area!
