In total 22 sports were contested, with Canoeing and Paratriathlon making their Paralympic debut and 4,328 athletes representing 159 National Paralympic Committees. Uruguay made its Para Equestrian Games debut when Alfonsina Maldonado competed in Grade IV with her horse Da Vinci and, once again, Great Britain dominated the medals table.
There were major concerns about ticket sales in the lead-up to the Games but, following a last-minute rush, over 2 million tickets were sold in total. This meant that Rio 2016 overtook Beijing 2008 as the second-most-attended Paralympic Games, London 2012 continuing to hold the record with 2.1 million.
The medals for the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, incorporating sustainable design, were unveiled on 14 June 2016. Produced by the Brazilian Mint, the cases were in the shape of seeds, symbolising the courage, perseverance and development of the athletes, and the medals themselves included a surprising sensory innovation.
Each contained a tiny rattle that jingled when shaken, providing a new way for Paralympic athletes to celebrate their success. Gold, silver and bronze all produced different sounds, and the reverse side featured the Paralympic emblem and an inscription in braille.
At the Closing Ceremony in the Maracanã Stadium, International Paralympic Committee president, Philip Craven, told the Paralympic athletes that they “showed to the world that with a positive attitude the human body, and above all the human heart and mind, knows no limits and absolutely anything is possible."
He also announced that he would bestow the Paralympic Order, the IPC's highest honour, on the people of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro for their "outstanding support" of the Paralympic Games.
The first gold of the Rio 2016 Para Dressage competition was won by Norway’s Ann Cathrin Lübbe and Donatello in the thrilling grade III individual test. Lübbe won individual and freestyle grade IV gold in Athens 2004 and claimed silver in both events at Beijing four years later.
This time around she pinned Denmark’s Susanne Sunesen and Que Faire into silver medal spot and, keeping it a neighbourly affair, Sweden’s Louise Etzner Jakobsson took the bronze on her Paralympic debut, riding Zernard.
Austria’s Pepo Puch won the grade Ib individual, while Great Britain’s Sophie Wells took the grade IV individual title.
Wells, riding Valerius, scored 74.857% to finish just ahead of Belgium’s London 2012 winner Michèle George, with The Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar taking the bronze. The win comes after Wells has lost out to George at both the London 2012 Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2014.
In a week that saw winners sometimes decided by fractions of a point, Puch’s one-point win over Great Britain’s Lee Pearson seemed even more impressive. Riding Fontainenoir, Puch scored 75.103% to Pearson’s 74.103% while Denmark’s Stinna Tange Kaastrup took the bronze.
Taking the 13th Paralympic medal of his career that started back in Sydney 2000, Pearson was gracious in defeat. "I think the best man won on the day,” he said.
When Natasha Baker won the grade II individual test and Sophie Christiansen claimed the grade Ia individual title the British already had team gold in their grasp.
The team made up of Sophie Christiansen and Anne Dunham (both grade Ia), Natasha Baker (II) and Sophie Wells (IV) had a combined score of 453.306 to finish 20 points ahead of Germany in silver (433.321) with The Netherlands in bronze (430.353).
Riding Cabral, Baker scored 73.400% in the grade ll to finish just ahead of the Netherlands’ Demi Vermeulen and Rixt Van der Horst in silver and bronze.
Christiansen posted a big score of 78.217% for grade 1a victory with Athene Lindebjerg, while teammate Anne Dunham, competing in her fifth Games was second. And there was a hugely popular bronze for Brazil’s Sergio Oliva, his country’s second Para Dressage medallist after teammate Marcos Alves took two bronzes in Beijing 2008.
Three London 2012 freestyle titles were successfully defended with Belgium’s Michèle George retaining hers in the grade IV competition on what was her last championship ride on FBW Rainman, the horse that has taken her to two FEI World Equestrian Games™ titles and three Paralympic gold medals. George turned the tables on individual Championship test winner Sophie Wells (GBR) who had to settle for second place with a score of 76.300% to Well’s 76.350% while the Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar took the bronze.
Lee Pearson (GBR) regained his grade Ib freestyle title, the 11th Paralympic gold medal of his extraordinary career. Riding his world championship horse Zion, he scored 77.400% ahead of Austria’s grade Ib champion Pepo Puch while Denmark’s Stinna Tange Kaastrup collected her second bronze of these Games.
Great Britain topped the medal table with seven golds and four silvers. The Netherlands was second with one gold, two silvers and four bronze medals, followed by Austria, Belgium, and Norway, each with one gold and one silver.
The British team have won every Paralympic team competition since the sport was introduced to the Games in Atlanta 1996 and remain undefeated in European and World championships too, with a total of 18 team titles.
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