The 2002 Winter Paralympics were the first Paralympic Winter Games held in the Americas, drawing 416 athletes from 36 nations to Salt Lake City.
Key Facts
- Edition
- 8th Paralympic Winter Games
- Athletes
- 416
- Participating nations
- 36
- Dates
- 7–16 March 2002
- Top athlete
- Ragnhild Myklebust (Norway), 5 gold medals
- Myklebust career medals
- 22 total, 17 gold
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Salt Lake City was awarded hosting rights for both the 2002 Winter Olympics and Paralympics, providing infrastructure and organization that enabled the United States to host the Paralympic Winter Games for the first time, extending the Games to the Americas.
From 7 to 16 March 2002, Salt Lake City hosted the eighth Paralympic Winter Games, with 416 competitors from 36 nations competing across skiing and biathlon disciplines. Six nations—Andorra, Chile, China, Croatia, Greece, and Hungary—made their Winter Paralympic debuts.
Norwegian athlete Ragnhild Myklebust claimed five gold medals, bringing her career total to 22 Paralympic medals and 17 golds, establishing a record as the most successful Winter Paralympic athlete of all time up to that point.