On March 03, 2010, the Winter Paralympic Games torch relay began its 10 day transit from the city of Ottawa, Canada to the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver where the 2010 Paralympic Games were going to be held. The basic torch design for the 2010 Paralympic Games was the same as the one used for the Olympic Games. All in all, the torch relay went across 10 different cities in Canada and it involved more than 600 runners.
For the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games, or the “X Paralympic Winter Games” as it is officially known, a record 44 countries sent athletes to participate. This is a higher number of participation than the previous Paralympic Games held on 2006 where only 39 countries participated. Despite this increase of total participants though, it is unfortunate that not all of the countries who participated in the 2006 games were represented for this year. Latvia, who had 1 participant in the Paralympic Games in Turin, Italy, was not able to send any athlete for the X Paralympic Winter Games.
Of these 44 countries, the host country Canada had the biggest number of athletes in contention with a total of 55 athletes entered. The United States had the second biggest entourage with a total of 50 participating athletes. A total of 10 countries had only 1 athlete each. These are: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Iran, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and South Africa.
First time participants to the Paralympic games were Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, and Bosnia even though they have already been participants in earlier summer Olympic Games. The country of Serbia meanwhile, joins the winter Paralympics for the first time as an individual participant since its separation from Montenegro.
There are 5 sporting events slated for the X Paralympic Winter Games. These are: Alpine skiing, Biathlon, Cross-Country Skiing, Wheelchair Curling, and Sledge Hockey. Of these 5 events, a total of 64 gold medals were up for grabs. Alpine skiing had the most medals available with 30 different gold medals, while Ice sledge Hockey and Wheelchair Curling only had one available gold medal each.
Germany was at the top of the medal standings at the conclusion of the X Paralympic Winter Games with its total of 13 gold medals won. It won gold medals in Alpine Skiing, Biathlon, and Cross Country Skiing. It was however, tied for last place in the Wheelchair Curling competition. Germany also won 5 silver medals and 6 bronze medals for a total medal count of 24.
Russia came in 2nd in the medal standings with a total of 12 gold medals. It did however win 16 silver medals and 10 bronze which gave it a total medal count of 38 – the most of any participating country in the 2010 Winter Paralympic Games.
The host country Canada was third at the overall medal standings with 10 gold medals won. It also had 5 silver medals and 4 bronze medals for a total medal haul of 19. Both of these totals are the highest ever for Canada in the Winter Paralympic Games.
