Winter Paralympics return to Europe

The 2006 Winter Paralympic Games, the ninth winter Paralympics, took place in Turin, Italy in a move that saw the Paralympics come back to Europe for the first time since Lillehammer twelve years earlier.  These were the first Winter Paralympic Games to be held in Italy.

The Games were officially opened by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi at the 28,000 capacity Stadio Olimpico.  The Stadium which was constructed in 1933 for the FIFA World Cup 1934, and was renamed Stadio Grande Torino (Grand Stadium of Turin) after the 2006 Winter Paralympic Games in a tribute to the Torino players who died in the Superga air disaster on May 4, 1949.

The Games mascot was Aster, a star-shaped snowflake similar in design to the Olympic mascots Neve and Gliz.  The Games were also the first Paralympic Games to feature a live webcast of events, hosted by ParalympicSport.TV

Russia topped the medal table with 33 medals, 13 of which were gold. Germany finished the Games in second place while the Ukraine was third; hosts Italy taking a respectable 9th place in the overall medal table.

Date Games were held: March 10- 19

Number of nations represented: 39

Number of competitors: 486

Number of medals awarded: 174