Olympian1010

The Organising Committee of the Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games announced the sports program of the 2023 Parapan American Games today. The Games will feature 17 para sports and 18 disciplines. The para sports slated to be included on the program are: para archery, para athletics, para badminton, boccia, para cycling (road and track), football 5-a-side, football 7-a-side, goalball, judo, para powerlifting, shooting para sport, para swimming, para table tennis, para taekwondo, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis. Para archery returns to the sports program after being dropped for the Lima 2019 Parapan American Games. Para archery featured at both the 2011 and 2015 editions of the Parapan American Games prior to Lima 2019. Para archery competitions at the 2015 Parapan American Games featured 8 countries, and included 2 events for each gender. By far the most shocking component of the announcement, was the apparent exclusion of sitting volleyball. Sitting Volleyball was included on the program of the last 5 Parapan American Games. The tournament at the 2019 Parapan American Games even acted as a qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Summer Games. It has not been explicitly stated as to what led to the sport’s exclusion from the 2023 Parapan American Games, but the sport has seen a low amount of participating countries at the last few editions of the Parapan American Games. Americas Paralympic Committee (APC) President Julio César Ávila stated, “Congratulations to all 17 sports that will be part of the sports programme at the next Parapan American Games in Santiago, in 2023. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC)/APC reviewed applications from a total of 23 Para sports against a variety of criteria such as anti-doping compliance, competition opportunities in the Americas and participation numbers.” He continued, “The 17 selected Para sports give us confidence in a robust Games programme reflecting the most popular Para sports in our region. The programme features an attractive mix of exciting and extremely engaging Para sports; we are committed to organising a historic Games in Santiago.”Santiago 2023 CEO Felipe De Pablo added, "We are fully satisfied with the sports programme of the Parapan American Games. It is very attractive for competitors and spectators. We have worked on these Games in the same way we do for the Pan American Games, replicating every action for both competitions.”He continued, "We want the Americas to know that we are talking about high performance athletes, that the venues will be full of people. With this programme we are convinced that we will have a wonderful show, which will enhance all the capacities of those who come to fight for a medal. Athletes and Para athletes are and will always be the heart of our Games".APC Athlete Representative Ileana Rodriguez said, "This is not an easy decision to make as it directly impacts the athletes, who go through years of hard training and competing to reach their best form ahead of the Parapan American Games. I am convinced these Games will be the best yet in terms of sporting performances; our outstanding Para athletes will inspire millions and forever change Chilean society and how disability is perceived.” Speaking on his country’s objectives for the Games, Chilean Paralympic Committee (Copachi) President Ricardo Elizalde said, "It is a very important step to get to know the 17 sports. In Lima (2019 Parapan) we participated in 10 disciplines and one of our objectives at Santiago 2023 is to increase the number of athletes and sports.” He continued, "At Copachi we have been working since 2013 on providing more and better opportunities for people with disabilities. That, for example, has led us to systematically increase the number of athletes in our last international participations and encourages us to have a record delegation at Santiago 2023.” Since the first edition in Mexico City in 1999, with 1,000 Para athletes from 18 countries competing across four Para sports, the Parapan American Games have been growing steadily. The latest edition held in Lima in 2019 was regarded as the best ever, with over 1,800 Para athletes from 30 countries competing across 17 Para sports, and a record number of 170,000 spectators following the competitions from the stands. The Santiago 2023 Parapan American Games will open on 17 November and close on 26 November 2023.

Neven Ilic was re-elected President of the Panam Sports Organization at the 58th General Assembly of the Panam Sports Organization. For the first time in history, the General Assembly of the Pan American Sports Organization was held virtually. The pandemic caused Panam Sports to suspend the meeting scheduled for Cancun and hold the assembly remotely. The assembly featured reports about the current difficult year for international sports, and the entire 2020-2024 quadrennial. Discussions on the quadrennial were led by Panam Sports President Neven Ilic, Secretary General Ivar Sisniega, and the Panam Sports Commissions. Progress reports were also presented by the Organizing Committees of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games, and Santiago 2023 Pan Am Games. However, the most important moment of the LVIII General Assembly of Panam Sports was the Election of President. Current President Neven Ilic was the only candidate, but he would need to receive more than 50% of the voting Assembly to confirm his re-election. The voting took place without any surprises though, and Chile’s Neven Ilic was re-elected to his position as President of the Panam Sports Organization by the Panam Sports General Assembly. His re-election was a unanimous decision, with Ilic receiving 52 votes. (Note: Though the Panam Sports Organization only has 41 member countries, by statute, the countries that have hosted the Games have two votes, hence the higher number of votes than member countries.) Speaking on his re-election, Ilic said, “The truth is, I am very happy with the support received by all the Olympic Committees. During these more than three years we have become more united as a continent, we have learned the different needs of our member countries and we have seen important results both in sporting and also in the development of our NOCs which of course motivates us to continue working for our athletes and for the Americas.” He continued, “I want to congratulate all the new members that join the Executive Committee and, in turn, thank those who leave us, because their contribution was very fundamental to the success of this administration.” On the second day of the assembly, the results of the elections of the Members of the Executive Committee and the Vice Presidents, including the new members that are joining the Board, were also announced. The results of those elections can be found Here. The next edition of the Panam Sports Organization General Assembly will be held in Santiago, Chile in October 2021.

The IPC Governing Board concluded four days of online meetings on December 15, making key decisions relating to the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games sport programme. The IPC Governing Board approved the inclusion of para alpine skiing, para ice hockey, para nordic skiing, para snowboard and wheelchair curling at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the 14th consecutive appearance for both para alpine skiing and para nordic skiing at the Winter Paralympics. Both sports have featured at every edition of the Paralympic Winter Games, since the inaugural edition held in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden in 1976. Para nordic skiing will once again hold competitions in two disciplines, cross country skiing and biathlon. Biathlon was first introduced to the Paralympic Winter Games in 1988, and has featured at every edition since. Para ice hockey also retains its spot on the program, having featured at every Paralympic Winter Games, since 1994. Likewise, Wheelchair Curling will also remain a part of the sports program. In fact, this will be welcome return to Italy for the sport, since it was first included in the Paralympic Winter Games at Torino 2006. Another sport that will be happy to make a return to the Winter Paralympic program is para snowboard. Para Snowboard debuted as a sport at the last edition of the Paralympic Winter Games held in Pyeongchang in 2018. However, the sport actually first featured at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games as a discipline of para alpine skiing, meaning that Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the fourth time snowboard events have been included at the Paralympic Winter Games. The IPC Governing Board deferred a decision on whether to include para bobsleigh until early 2021. Para bobsleigh was originally due to feature at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games in Beijing. However, the IPC deemed that the sport had failed to met some of the criteria outlined by the organization for the sport’s inclusion at the Games, and thus para bobsleigh was ultimately cut from the program. At the time of that decision, IBSF President Ivo Ferriani vowed that the IBSF would not give up on their para-sport program, and that the organization would work towards the sports inclusion at the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The IPC Governing Board also provisionally approved the first 18 medal events in order to give National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) and International Federations additional time to plan for the Games. The approved events included a new mixed doubles wheelchair curling event and two new medal events in women’s snowboard for athletes with upper limb impairments. Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said, “We are pleased that with more than five years to go until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games we can confirm six disciplines from five sports for the sport programme and announce the first 18 medal events that will be provisionally included.” He continued, “We strongly believe the provisional inclusion of medal events will facilitate participation growth, advancing the possibilities of them meeting the criteria for inclusion when the medal events programme is fully confirmed in two years’ time. Moreover, provisional inclusion offers the International Federations opportunities for athlete development and recruitment while giving national governing bodies clarity in their long-term planning, funding and development programmes.” Chelsey Gotell, IPC Athletes’ Council Chairperson, said, “The provisional medal event programme for Milano Cortina 2026 includes 18 events that are either new or have had limited participation at previous Games. With more than five years to go until the Games, athletes, national and international federations, as well as NPCs have a target to aim for in terms of developing the talent pool.” A full list of the 18 medal events provisionally included for Milano Cortina 2026 can be found Here.