London 2012 marks new ties between Paralympics and Special
Olympics Did you know 120 athletes with intellectual
disabilities have qualified for London 2012 Paralympics
competing in track & field, aquatics and table tennis. It was
nearly 25 years ago when the IOC first recognized Special
Olympics with a Protocol of Agreement during the 1988 Winter
Olympics. In 2009, the IPC membership voted to include athletes
with intellectual disability in competitions, including the
Paralympics, starting with the 2012 London Summer Games. This
reversed a decision made for the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games to
exclude athletes with intellectual disabilities from the
Paralympics and other IPC sanctioned competitions. People often
ask the question “What is the difference between Special
Olympics and Paralympics?” Special Olympics, the International
Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee are
complementary organizations, each one a testimony to the power
of sport. As Tim Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics