2007

The twelfth world games took place IN China-the secoinf games outside the USA!! 7200 athletes competed. Judo was added as a medal sport. Chinese athletes competed in demonstration dragonboat races and dragon dances. Bocce was becoming popular. Athens will be the site of the thirteenth world games

2003

The eleventh world games were the first to be held outside the USA. They took place in Dublin, Ireland. Over 7000 athletes competed. Rowling took place for the place for the first time at a world games. For the first time at a world games, local athletes with severe disablilities showed off thier skills for challenge medals. Irish athletes competed in a pitch-and-putt exhibition round of golf. Judo was an exhibition sport

1999

The tenth world games were held at Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 7000 athletes competed in a lot of sports. ONe of our Washington athletes won 1 gold in the 100m run and a silver in the long jump. He also did the 400m walk.

1995

The ninth world games took place at NEw Haven, Connecticut with 7000 athletes in attendance. Unified sports were contested for the first time. Table tennis, golf, badminton, and team handball were also contested. The marathon was ran, the squat lift was added to wieghtlifting. Sailing took place as a medal event. Runners ran over the hurdles for the first time and bicylists rode 25 miles. This was also the first time that athletes came to the games as officials- there were 50 of them.

1991

6000 athletes went to Minneapolis, Minnesota to compete at the eighth world games in numerous sports. One of Washington athletes won the bronze medal at the games!

1987

This was the international year of Special lOympics!!! This was the year the IOC officially recognized Special olympics as weel as the UN.! 5300 athletes competed in South Bend, Indiana. Biclycling, powerlifting, tennis, team handball, roller skating-races, and other sports were added. SPecial olympics took a BIG step in 1987!

1983

Roller skating, horse riding events, softball and volleyball were contested at the sisth world games. Special olympics was really growing. 5000 athletes competed in BAton Rouge,Louisiana.

1979

THe fifth games were held in New York-Brockport with 4500 athletes in attendance competing in 7 sports. Athletes were also bused noth to see Niagra Falls. The torch lighter unfortunatly succumbed to cancer yeard later!

1975

The fourth world games took place in MT. Pleasant,Michgan with 4000 athletes competing! Soccer, roller skating, and bowling were contested for the first time. Gymnastics added more events and skill levels.

1972

The third world games were held in Los Angeles with 3200 athletes in attendance. Gymnastics was contested with low balance beam routins, floor routines and tumbling took place. A blind athlete from Washington won the gold in tumbling by doing a backflip that stunned the auduence!

1970

The second world were also held in Chicago with 2000 athletes attending from 4 countries! Basketball was contested as the first team sport at a world games. Swimming and track added more events such as breast-stroke and buttlerfly stroke and diving in swimming, shot put and longver distance races in track, and shot put.

1968

The very first Special olympics world games took place in Chicago, Illinois with 1000 athelets from 26 states and Canada competing. There were only 2 sports at that time: track and swimming. Track race included runs, walks up to 400 meters, 4x100 relays, assisted walks ans wheelchair races. Field events had standing long jump, long jump, and ball throw. Swimming had freestyle and backstroke at the distace of 25 meters. There were basketball and floor hockey clinics