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Deaf people in the Olympics

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A number of deaf people have competed in the modern Olympic Games, with the earliest known being Oskar Wetzell, a Finnish diver who competed in the 1908 Olympics in London.

In some cases, adaptations have been made to accommodate deaf athletes.[1][2]

(There is also a specific event for the deaf, the Deaflympics, organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. This is also held every four years, and some of the people listed in this article will have also competed there).

Summer games

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Athletes

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The table below shows Deaf athletes known to have competed in the Olympics. All either competed at the Deaflympics, or would have qualified to do so. To qualify for the Deaflympics, "athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55db in their 'better ear'. Hearing aids, cochlear implants and the like are not allowed to be used in competition, to place all athletes on the same level"[3] In the Olympics, there is no restriction on hearing loss or use of hearing aids.

Person (Nation) Deaflympic Games Olympic Games
Games Sport Medal Games Sport Medal Ref
 Oskar Wetzell (FIN) 1908 London
1912 Stockholm
Diving [4]
 Carlo Orlandi (ITA) 1928 Amsterdam Boxing 1st place, gold medalist(s) [5]
 Donald Gollan (GBR) 1928 Amsterdam Rowing 2nd place, silver medalist(s) [5]
 Ignazio Fabra (ITA) 1961 Helsinki
1965 Washington DC
1969 Belgrade
Wrestling 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

1952 Helsinki
1956 Melbourne
Wrestling 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) [6]
 Ildikó Újlaky-Rejtő (HUN) 1960 Rome
1964 Tokyo
1968 Mexico City
1972 Munich
1976 Montreal
Fencing 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

[7]
 Gerhard Sperling (GER) 1961 Helsinki
1969 Belgrade
1977 Bucharest
Athletics 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

1964 Tokyo
1968 Mexico City
1972 Munich
Athletics [8]
 Vyacheslav Skomorokhov (URS) 1969 Belgrade
1973 Malmö
1977 Bucharest
1981 Köln
Athletics 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

1968 Mexico City Athletics [9]
 Jeffrey Float (USA) 1977 Bucharest Swimming 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s)

1984 Los Angeles Swimming 1st place, gold medalist(s) [10] [11]
 Dean Barton-Smith (AUS) 1985 Los Angeles
1989 Christchurch
1993 Sofia
2005 Melbourne
Athletics 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

1992 Barcelona Athletics [12][13]
 Terence Parkin (RSA) 1997 Copenhagen
2001 Rome
2005 Melbourne
2009 Taipei
2013 Sofia
Swimming
Cycling
1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

2000 Sydney
2004 Athens
Swimming 2nd place, silver medalist(s) [14][15]
 Frank Bartolillo (AUS) 2004 Athens Fencing [15][16]
 Hugo Passos (POR) 1997 Copenhagen
2001 Rome
2005 Melbourne
2009 Taipei
Wrestling 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s)

2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

2004 Athens Wrestling [15][17]
 Tony Ally (GBR) 2004 Athens Diving [15]
 Tamika Catchings (USA) 2004 Athens
2008 Beijing
2012 London
2016 Rio
Basketball 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) 1st place, gold medalist(s) [18]
 Chris Colwill (USA) 2008 Beijing
2012 London
Diving [19]
 David Smith (USA) 2012 London
2016 Rio
2020 Tokyo
Volleyball 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) [20][21]
 Jakub Nosek (CZE) 2009 Taipei
2013 Sofia
2017 Samsun
Athletics 2018 Pyeongchang Bobsleigh [22][23]
 Diksha Dagar (IND) 2017 Samsun Golf 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2020 Tokyo Golf [24][25]

Opening ceremony

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Person (Nation)
Games Role References
KAOS Choir (GBR) 2012 London Performed British National anthem [26]
Evelyn Glennie (GBR) 2012 London Lead percussionist [27]
Mike Hawthorne (GBR) 2012 London Dancer [28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Flaherty, Bryan (19 April 2012). "USA Swimming will allow hand signals to accommodate deaf athletes at Olympic Games". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Deaf olympic swimming hopeful Marcus Titus makes history". healthyhearing.com. Archived from the original on 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  3. ^ Historical overview of the Paralympics, Special Olympics, and Deaflympics Archived 2012-10-13 at the Wayback Machine. Thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved on 17 October 2011.
  4. ^ "Oskar Wetzell a multi-talented deaf sportsperson". Retrieved 2018-02-10.
  5. ^ a b "Disabled Olympic Participants". Top End Sports. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  6. ^ "Deaflympics". International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  7. ^ "A Guide to Olympic Sports - Fencing". BBC. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  8. ^ "Athletes | Deaflympics". www.deaflympics.com. Archived from the original on 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
  9. ^ "Deaflympics". International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. Archived from the original on 26 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Keynote Speaker: Jeff Float". World Class Speakers & Entertainers. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  11. ^ "Jeff Float Deaflympics record". World Class Speakers & Entertainers. Archived from the original on 2016-09-15. Retrieved 2017-08-30.
  12. ^ "Dean Barton-Smith wins rare Edwin Flack award". Deaf Sports Australia. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  13. ^ "Athlete Information: Dean Barton-Smith". Deaflympics. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2013-02-07.
  14. ^ "Terence PARKIN". Deaflympics. Archived from the original on 2016-09-18. Retrieved 2016-09-07.
  15. ^ a b c d "Game Plans for Athletes with Hearing Loss". Dee Naquin Shafer. 2004-10-05. Archived from the original on 2013-08-03. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  16. ^ "Frank Bartolillo-Deaf Australian Fencer To Participate In Olympics". Workersforjesus.com. 1981-12-22. Archived from the original on 2021-04-25. Retrieved 2012-08-01.
  17. ^ "Athlete Profile: Hugo Miguel Passos". Deaflympics. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
  18. ^ "Tamika Catchings: WNBA Superstar; Star to the Indianapolis Community". Mike White. 2007-07-07. Archived from the original on 2014-06-19. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  19. ^ "Exclusive: Hearing loss won't hold back U.S. Olympic diver". Jason Owens. 2012-07-09. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
  20. ^ "United States volleyball David Smith competes with hearing loss". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  21. ^ "David Smith Volleyball". TeamUSA. Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  22. ^ "Deaf Czech Bobsledder, Jakub Nosek, at the Pyeongchang 2018 | ICSD". www.deaflympics.com. Archived from the original on 2019-10-08. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  23. ^ "Jakub Nosek | Deaflympics". www.deaflympics.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  24. ^ ""Indian amateur golfer Diksha Dagar credits dad for her silver win at Deaflympics"". Hindustan Times. 28 July 2017.
  25. ^ "Olympics.com: Diksha Dagar". Archived from the original on August 4, 2021.
  26. ^ "The Kaos Signing Choir performs the British national anthem during the Opening Ceremony for the 2012 London Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium". Richard Mackson - USA TODAY Sports. 2012-07-27. Archived from the original on 2012-07-31. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  27. ^ "KAOS Signing Choir and Deaf percussionist Evelyn Glennie are highlights from the Opening ceremony". Signing Savvy. Retrieved 2013-02-08.
  28. ^ "Olympics opening ceremony is dream come true for deaf Highbury dancer". Islington Gazette.