An overview of the five most successful countries of the Paralympics

The Paralympics were created to provide an opportunity for athletes with different disabilities and a unique platform to showcase their talent. Prior to the 1948 Summer Olympics, athletes with disabilities participated in the Olympics with other competitors. However, on the first day of the 1948 Games, a separate event was held for a World War II veteran with spinal cord injuries. It was considered by many to be the first Paralympics to be called the International Wheelchair Games. The event was founded by Dr Ludwig Guttmann and its first participants were from the UK.

Four years later, in 1952, the first international Stoke Mandeville Games were held with athletes from the Netherlands and England. Since then, the Games were held every year.

The first official Paralympics were held in 1960 after the Games were opened to wheelchair users other than war veterans. Today, the Paralympics are divided into several sections based on the disability of the participants, and include 22 sports, including table tennis, badminton, judo, cycling, horseback riding and archery.