IX Winter Paralympic Games, March 10 – 19, 2006
For 10 days in March, sports enthusiasts world-wide will follow the accomplishments of 600 exceptional athletes in Turino, Italy at the 2006 Paralympic Games.
Find out more about the Games:
- Canada's 2006 Paralympic Team
- Classification of Athletes
- Winter Paralympic Sports
- Organizing Committees
- Time difference between Canada and Italy
- Travelling to Torino
- Future Paralympic Games
- Paralympic Facts
Canada's 2006 Paralympic team includes 35 athletes and about 35 support staff. This includes coaches, guides, team leaders, mission staff, trainers and other health care professionals.
Chef de Mission: Marg McGregor
Chief Medical Officer: Dr. Gaëtan Tardif
A list of Canadian athletes who have qualified for the 2006 Paralympic Games can be found on the Web site of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
Classification is the key to the competitiveness of athletes at the Paralympics. The classification process evaluates athletes by disability and functional ability to ensure that they are all on an equal footing at the start of competition.
There are five categories for athletes who compete in the Paralympic Games:
- Amputee
- Cerebral palsy
- Spinal cord injury
- Visual impairment
- Others
Classification allows Paralympians to compete at the highest level, regardless of differences in physical function.
Olympians will compete in 84 events in 15 sports categories at the 2006 Torino Winter Paralympic Games. Detailed descriptions of each winter sport can be found on the Web site of the Canadian Paralympic Committee.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Paralympic movement, including Canada's participation in the Paralympic Games.
The Torino 2006 Paralympics Committee
The Torino 2006 Paralympics Committee is responsible for organizing and hosting the 2006 Paralympic Games. The Paralympic Committee works closely with the Torino Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, which has overall responsibility for the 2006 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Time difference between Canada and Italy
The time difference between Canada and Italy varies between 4 ½ hours and 9 hours, depending on your location in Canada.
When it is noon (12:00 pm) in: |
The time in Italy is: |
Newfoundland and Labrador |
4:30 pm |
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I. |
5:00 pm |
Quebec and Ontario |
6:00 pm |
Manitoba and Saskatchewan |
7:00 pm |
Alberta |
8:00 pm |
British-Columbia and the Yukon |
9:00 pm |
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Booking Tickets and Accommodations
Thinking of travelling to Torino? Tickets and accommodation packages are available from Executive World Travel, the official travel agent for the Canadian Paralympic Team.Executive World Travel Toll-free: 1-800-267-5552
- General Visitors' Information
The Torino Tourism Web site provides all the information you need when visiting the area.
2008 Summer Games, Beijing, China
2010 Winter Games, Vancouver, Canada
2012 Summer Games, London, England
- Canada won 15 medals at the 2002 Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City, finishing in 6th place out of the 35 countries that competed.
- The Paralympic Games began after World War II, when English neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttmann advocated the use of sporting events as therapy to enhance the quality of life for people who were injured as a result of the war. Dr. Guttmann is known as the father of sport for people with a disability.
- Dr. Guttmann organized the 1948 International Wheelchair Games to coincide with the 1948 Olympic Games. It was his dream that a worldwide competition for people with a disability be held every four years as the equivalent of the Olympic Games. His dream became a reality when the first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960.
- Canada has competed at every Paralympic Games since 1968 and is seen as a world leader in sport for persons with a disability.
- The prefix “Para” refers to the Paralympic movement being parallel to the Olympic movement.
- About 1,000 media representatives will be accredited for the Paralympic Games.