Netherlands at the Paralympics

Netherlands at the Paralympic Games
Flag of the Netherlands IPC code  NED NPC Gehandicaptensport Nederland
Paralympic history
Summer Games
1960 • 1964 • 1968 • 1972 • 1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1996 • 2000 • 2004 • 2008 • 2012 • 2016
Winter Games
1976 • 1980 • 1984 • 1988 • 1992 • 1994 • 1998 • 2002 • 2006 • 2010 • 2014

The Netherlands participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of five athletes. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics. It made its Winter Paralympics début in 1984, and has taken part in every subsequent edition of the Games, except 2006. The Netherlands were the host country of the 1980 Summer Paralympics, in Arnhem.^[1]

Dutch athletes have won a total of 622 Paralympic medals, of which 239 gold, 208 silver and 175 bronze. 612 of these medals (including 237 of the gold) were won at the Summer Paralympics. This places the Netherlands ninth on the all-time Paralympic Games medal table - behind the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, Austria and Poland.^[2]

The Netherlands’ most successful Games, in terms of ranking, were the 1976 Summer Games in Toronto, when it finished second (behind the United States). Numerically, the country won most medals at the 1984 Summer Games in New York and Stoke Mandeville: 135 medals, of which 55 gold. The Netherlands consistently ranked in the top ten until 1996, included. Since then, they have experienced something of a decline. The 2004 Games marked the first time since 1964 that the Dutch had failed to win at least ten gold medals; they won five, and ranked at an all-time low of 27th.^[3]

Majorie van de Bunt is, to date, the only Dutch athlete to have won medals at the Winter Paralympics. She won a gold in biathlon and three bronze in cross-country skiing in 1994, then a silver and a bronze in 1998, and a gold (in biathlon) and three silver (in cross-country skiing) in 2002. She has not competed again at the Paralympics since that date. The Netherlands were absent from the 2006 Games, and sent only only a one-man delegation (Kees-Jan van der Klooster) to compete in alpine skiing in 2010; he did not win any medals.^[4]

Medal tallies

Summer Paralympics

Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Ranking
1960 Summer Paralympics	3	6	0	9	8th
1964 Summer Paralympics	4	6	4	14	10th
1968 Summer Paralympics	12	4	4	20	8th
1972 Summer Paralympics	14	13	11	38	5th
1976 Summer Paralympics	45	25	14	84	2nd
1980 Summer Paralympics	33	31	36	100	6th
1984 Summer Paralympics	55	52	28	135	7th
1988 Summer Paralympics	31	25	30	86	8th
1992 Summer Paralympics	14	14	11	39	9th
1996 Summer Paralympics	17	11	17	45	8th
2000 Summer Paralympics	12	9	9	30	15th
2004 Summer Paralympics	5	11	13	29	27th
2008 Summer Paralympics	5	10	7	22	19th

Winter Paralympics

Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total	Ranking
1984 Winter Paralympics	0	0	0	0	-
1988 Winter Paralympics	0	0	0	0	-
1992 Winter Paralympics	0	0	0	0	-
1994 Winter Paralympics	1	0	3	4	15th
1998 Winter Paralympics	0	1	1	2	20th
2002 Winter Paralympics	1	3	0	4	15th
2006 Winter Paralympics	did not participate
2010 Winter Paralympics	0	0	0	0	-

See also

• Netherlands at the Olympics

References

1. ^ Netherlands at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
2. ^ Netherlands at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
3. ^ Netherlands at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee
4. ^ Netherlands at the Paralympics, International Paralympic Committee