2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games Multi-sport event in Graz and Schladming, Austria
The 2017 Special Olympic World Winter Games (German : 2017 Special Olympics World Winterspiele ) officially called 11th Special Olympics World Winter Games is a Special Olympics , a multi-sports event that was held in Austria from March 14 through March 25, 2017.[ 1]
Overview
City of Graz which won the bidding and is holding the 11th Winter Special Olympic World Games It was announced in 2012 that the host city for the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games would be Graz and Schladming in Styria , Austria.[ 2]
The opening and closing ceremonies were broadcast in the United States on ABC and ESPN . Most events were played live or re-aired on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNNEWS throughout the games.[ 3]
The games
Reception
With 113 nations participating all were invited to the Official Reception in Vienna after the teams arrived. At the Reception teams and nations could meet other athletes, take photos and talk to media from all over the world. This was the Special Olympics World Games first time that this event was held. The Reception took place on March 16, 2017, at the Vienna, Rathaus .
Arrivals
Most athletes arrived at Vienna International Airport on March 14, 2017, and were given Special Austria 2017 necklaces and gear for their stay.
The Austrian government denied the visas for teams from Ghana and Afghanistan, keeping them from competing. The grounds for denial conveyed to the Ghana team were that Austria believed that the athletes would not return to Ghana after the competition. Tim Shriver , chairman of the board of Special Olympics International, said: "On paper, six athletes of more than 2,500 did not attend the 2017 World Games. But for those six, it is a nightmare."[ 4]
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was on March 18, 2017. The games were officially opened by Alexander Van der Bellen . Jason Mraz and Grace VanderWaal , with a choir of children from Schladming and Special Olympics global messengers, performed "I Won't Give Up ." Helene Fischer performed "Fighter " .[ 5]
Nations participating
* Host nation
China at the 2017 Special Olympics Reception in Vienna , Austria
Nations participating
Athletes[ 6]
Country
Male
Female
Total
Events
Africa
Burkina Faso 7
3
10
floorball
Ivory Coast 12
7
19
floorball
Ghana 10
0
10
floorball
Kenya 12
0
12
floor hockey
Namibia 13
7
20
floorball
Nigeria 20
0
20
floorball , floor hockey
South Africa 18
6
24
floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating
Uganda 16
0
16
floor hockey
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan 2
2
4
snowshoeing
Australia 9
3
12
alpine skiing , snowboarding
Bangladesh 15
13
28
floor hockey
Bharat 45
45
90
alpine skiing , floorball , floor hockey , figure skating , snowboarding , speed skating , snowshoeing
Indonesia 8
0
8
floorball
Malaysia 2
2
4
snowshoeing
New Zealand 10
3
13
alpine skiing , snowboarding
Pakistan 6
6
12
cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Serendib 6
2
8
floorball
Singapore 13
1
14
floorball , speed skating
East Asia
China 44
32
76
cross-country skiing , floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating snowshoeing
Chinese Taipei 26
14
40
floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Hong Kong 31
16
37
floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Nippon 37
17
54
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey , figure skating , snowboarding , speed skating , snowshoeing
South Korea 46
19
65
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey , figure skating , snowboarding
Macau 5
5
10
figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Mongolia 12
2
14
cross-country skiing , floorball , snowshoeing
Europe\Eurasia
Andorra 4
1
5
alpine skiing
Armenia 1
0
1
cross-country skiing
Austria *230
90
320
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , floor hockey , figure skating , snowboarding , speed skating , snowshoeing , stick shooting
Azerbaijan 10
0
10
floorball
Belarus 9
0
9
cross-country skiing
Belgium 15
11
26
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowboarding , snowshoeing
Bosnia and Herzegovina 8
8
16
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing
Bulgaria 4
4
8
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Croatia 19
10
29
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Cyprus 16
6
22
floorball , floor hockey
Czech Republic 21
11
32
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , snowboarding
Denmark 10
4
14
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , figure skating
Estonia 12
4
16
cross-country skiing , floorball
Finland 25
9
34
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , figure skating , snowboarding , snowshoeing
France 16
13
29
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Macedonia 1
0
1
alpine skiing
Georgia 2
5
7
alpine skiing , figure skating , snowshoeing
Germany 48
27
75
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , figure skating , snowboarding , speed skating , snowshoeing , stick shooting
Gibraltar 14
1
15
alpine skiing , floorball , snowshoeing
Great Britain 9
12
21
alpine skiing , figure skating
Hellas 12
2
14
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Hungary 23
10
33
alpine skiing , floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Iceland 2
2
4
figure skating
Ireland 24
2
26
alpine skiing , floorball
Isle of Man 9
3
12
floorball , snowshoeing
Israel 12
2
14
floorball , snowshoeing
Italy 21
13
34
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowboarding , snowshoeing
Kazakhstan 14
12
26
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , figure skating , snowboarding , snowshoeing
Kosovo 1
1
2
alpine skiing
Kyrgyzstan 2
1
3
alpine skiing , speed skating
Latvia 14
6
20
cross-country skiing , floorball , snowshoeing
Liechtenstein 4
4
8
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing
Lithuania 25
4
29
cross-country skiing , floor hockey , snowshoeing
Luxembourg 13
11
24
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing , stick shooting
Moldova 2
0
2
speed skating
Monaco 17
6
23
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Montenegro 4
2
6
alpine skiing , snowshoeing
Netherlands 15
10
25
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowboarding , speed skating
Norway 23
12
35
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , snowboarding , speed skating
Poland 32
14
46
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey , speed skating , snowshoeing
Romania 9
6
15
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , figure skating , snowshoeing
Russia 50
29
79
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , floor hockey , figure skating , snowboarding , speed skating , snowshoeing
San Marino 4
0
4
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Serbia 10
9
19
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing
Slovakia 10
6
16
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , figure skating
Slovenia 10
8
18
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Spain 30
22
52
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey , snowshoeing
Sweden 30
11
41
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , floor hockey , figure skating , snowshoeing
Switzerland 38
12
50
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , snowboarding
Tajikistan 4
4
8
cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Turkmenistan 2
1
3
figure skating , speed skating
Ukraine 16
2
18
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey
Uzbekistan 9
10
19
alpine skiing , figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Latin America
Argentina 11
5
16
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floorball , snowboarding , snowshoeing
Chile 4
4
8
alpine skiing , snowboarding
Costa Rica 18
2
20
floor hockey , snowshoeing
Cuba 12
0
12
floor hockey
Dominican Republic 2
2
4
snowshoeing
Mexico 29
4
33
floorball , floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating
Uruguay 0
9
9
floorball
Venezuela 16
6
22
floorball , floor hockey , speed skating , snowshoeing
MENA
Algeria 16
0
16
floor hockey
Brunei 2
2
4
snowshoeing
Egypt 18
2
20
floor hockey , snowshoeing
Iran 11
0
11
floor hockey
Iraq 2
2
4
snowshoeing
Jordan 4
4
8
speed skating , snowshoeing
Lebanon 5
4
9
cross-country skiing , snowshoeing
Libya 2
0
2
snowshoeing
Morocco 16
2
18
floor hockey , snowshoeing
Oman 2
2
4
snowshoeing
Palestine 2
0
2
snowshoeing
Qatar 5
0
5
speed skating , snowshoeing
Saudi Arabia 6
0
6
speed skating , snowshoeing
Syria 4
2
6
cross-country skiing , speed skating , snowshoeing
Tunisia 16
2
18
floor hockey , snowshoeing
United Arab Emirates 20
3
23
floor hockey , speed skating , snowshoeing
North America
Canada 68
40
108
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey , figure skating , speed skating , snowshoeing
Jamaica 18
0
18
floor hockey , speed skating
Saint Lucia 12
4
16
floor hockey
Trinidad and Tobago 10
6
16
floor hockey
United States 82
57
139
alpine skiing , cross-country skiing , floor hockey , figure skating , snowboarding , speed skating , snowshoeing
1,555
722
2,277
Events
The following events took place at Austria 2017:[ 7]
Calendar
OC Opening ceremony
●
Event competitions
1 Gold medals
EG Exhibition gala
CC Closing ceremony
Broadcasting
The 2017 World Games was broadcast on the following broadcasters in the following country: [ 8]
References
External links
Summer Winter Countries Others Key figures
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