In 1968, the Paralympics were held in Tel Aviv last minute.
The Jewish Chronicle of London explained why the games were relocated to London when 1968 Olympic Games host Mexico withdrew last-minute:
“Back then Israel was one of the most powerful countries on the international Paralympic committee,” said Boaz Kramer, ISCD chief executive and a silver medallist for wheelchair tennis at Beijing.
“Israel was one of the first countries to establish a full programme for disabled athletes in the 1950s, and Israel and the UK are the two countries with the longest tradition of wheelchair sports.”
Be sure to warm up for this year’s Paralympics by reading Miriam Shaviv’s report for JTA about the Jewish founder of the Paralympics. You can also check out the JTA Archive for historical coverage of the games through a Jewish lens.
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