The 1980 Winter Paralympics in Geilo were the second edition of the Winter Games for disabled athletes, bringing together 299 competitors from 18 nations.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 2nd Winter Paralympics
- Dates
- 1–7 February 1980
- Participating countries
- 18 countries
- Athletes
- 299 athletes
- Demonstration event
- Sledge downhill racing
- Organizing bodies
- ISMGF and ISOD
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the inaugural 1976 Winter Paralympics in Sweden, the International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation and the International Sports Federation of the Disabled sought to establish a recurring international winter competition for athletes with locomotor disabilities, selecting Geilo, Norway as the host.
From 1 to 7 February 1980, Geilo hosted the second Winter Paralympic Games, welcoming 299 athletes from 18 countries. All classes of athletes with locomotor disabilities were eligible to compete, and sledge downhill racing was featured as a demonstration event.
The 1980 Games reinforced the growing international framework for winter Paralympic sport, expanding athlete participation and introducing sledge downhill racing to a global audience, contributing to the event's future inclusion as a full Paralympic discipline.