| Special Olympics World Games | |
|---|---|
 The crowd at the Special Olympics World Games Opening Ceremony inCroke Park,Dublin, Ireland, 2003 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Sporting event |
| Date | Various |
| Frequency | Every two years |
| Country | Various |
| Inaugurated | 1968 (1968) (summer) 1977 (1977) (winter) |
TheSpecial Olympics World Games, also known asSpecial Olympiad, are an internationalsporting event for participants withintellectual disabilities, organised by theIOC-recognisedSpecial Olympics organisation.
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Although localSpecial Olympics events and competitions are held around the world every day, the World Games are flagship events. The goal is to showcase the skills and accomplishments of people with intellectual disabilities on a global stage.[1] The World Games feature more than a week of competitions involving thousands of participants. Through media coverage of the Games, the stories and achievements of children and adults with intellectual disabilities are made known to millions of people worldwide.[1]
Special Olympics World Games take place every two years and alternate between Summer and Winter Games, a schedule similar to theOlympics andParalympics. Attracting as many as 350,000 volunteers and coaches, plus several thousands of athletes, these World Games can be the world's largest sporting event of the year.[1][2]
Special Olympics athletes can compete in 32 Olympic-style summer or winter sports. The athletes are adults and children with intellectual disabilities who can range from gifted, world-class competitors to average athletes to those with limited physical ability. In Special Olympics competitions, athletes are matched up according to their ability and age. This “divisioning” process is an effort to make every competition fair, competitive and exciting for athletes as well as fans.[3]
The first International Special Olympics Summer Games were held inChicago,Illinois, US, in 1968, while the first International Special Olympics Winter Games were held in February 1977 inSteamboat Springs,Colorado, US. In 1991, the name was officially changed from International Special Olympics Summer/Winter Games to Special Olympics World Summer/Winter Games.[4]
The1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games received more than half of its funding from private corporations. Olympic historianBob Barney stated "companies that donate millions might want say in how an event is run", but also felt it positive since "it brings the games to a much larger viewing audience".[5]
In2011, Special Olympics World Summer Games were held on June 25 – July 4 in Athens, Greece, involving 6,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 170 countries.[2]
In2013, the Special Olympics World Winter Games were held inPyeongChang,South Korea from Jan. 29 – Feb. 5. The Host Town program, in which families host Special Olympics athletes from around the world to help them acclimate to the host country and customs, began on Jan. 26, 2013.[6]
In2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games .[7] These games were the first Special Olympics World Summer Games held in the United States in 16 years since the 1999 Summer Games held in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games inGraz andSchladming inStyria,Austria. This marked a return: Salzburg and Schladming, Austria hosted the fifth Special Olympics World Winter Games in 1993. These were the first Special Olympics World Games held outside the United States. The 2017 World Winter Games were held on March 14–25, 2017.[8]
Kazan,Russia was due to host the Winter Special Olympics between January 23–29, 2023.[9] Originally to be held inÅre andÖstersund,Sweden however the Swedish Government withdrew its hosting rights in December 2019 due to financial problems. The event had been postponed to January 2023 due a rise ofCOVID-19 cases. FollowingRussia's invasion of Ukraine, the event was cancelled due to logistical and safety issues.[10]
The2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games were held June 17–25, 2023 inBerlin,Germany. These were the first Special Olympics World Games to be held in Germany.[11] Competitions were held in 24 sports.
Turin,Italy held the World Winter Games in March 2025. It marked the first time that Italy has hosted the Special Olympics World Games.
Santiago,Chile will host the next World Summer Games in 2027. It will mark the first time the Special Olympics World Games will be staged in the Southern Hemisphere. It will also be the first time it will be held in Latin America and a Spanish speaking country.
1Sarajevo,Bosnia and Herzegovina, was originally selected to host the2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games.[12] Due to financial problems and the constant delay in reconstruction of the venues that originally hosted the1984 Winter Olympics, Sarajevo gave up hosting the Special Olympics andBoise, Idaho, was invited to host instead.[13]
2 It was planned thatÅre andÖstersund,Sweden, would host the2021 World Winter Games between February 2 to 13, 2021.[14] However, on December 20, 2019, it was announced that the Swedish Paralympic Committee vetoed the necessary financing for the continuity of the event in the country, invalidating a promise made during the bid process.[15] On June 29, 2020, it was announced that Kazan would host the Winter Games in 2022.[16]
| Games | City | Name | Type | Significance | Image | Refs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games | Shanghai | Sunny Sanmao | Boy | Based on the manhua character created byZhang Leping | .jpg) | [18] |
| 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games | Athens | Apollon | Sun | Named after the godApollo | [19] | |
| 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games | Pyeongchang | Ra, In, and Bow | Bear, sheep, and dog | Their names spell "Rainbow" | [20] | |
| 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games | Graz andSchladming | Lara and Luis | Deer and badger | Animals from Austria |  | [21] |
| 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games | Abu Dhabi | Faris and Rabdan | Boy and horse | Horses are a symbol of Arabia and are used therapeutically | [22] | |
| 2022 Special Olympics World Winter Games(cancelled) | Kazan | Zilant | Dragon | Mythical creature fromTurkic mythology | [23] | |
| 2023 Special Olympics World Summer Games | Berlin | Unity | Heart | It represents unity and affection | [24] |
204 National Programs in 7 Continental Zones (Updated at December 17, 2022):[25]
| Number | Region | National Programs |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Africa | 40 |
| 2 | Asia-Pacific | 35 |
| 3 | East Asia | 6 |
| 4 | Eurasia | 58 |
| 5 | Latin America | 20 |
| 6 | MENA | 22 |
| 7 | North America | 23 |
| Total | Special Olympics | 204 |
In 2013, Australia hosted the first ever Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games.[26]
Newcastle
Utsunomiya
Tianjin
Egypt
Rabat
Beirut
Tunis
DubaiAbu-Dhabi
DamascusCairo[31]United Arab Emirates[32]First ever Pan African Games in 2020 in Cairo, Egypt.
CairoLatin American Special Olympics Games:[34]
4th Latin American Special Olympics - Asunción, Paraguay 2024
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