Google celebrated the Paris Paralympics with a special Doodle highlighting the sport of wheelchair basketball. The Doodle featured a Summer Games bird executing an impressive slam dunk, tossing the basketball into a green net, symbolizing the excitement and athleticism of the sport.
On the opening day of the Games, Team USA triumphed over Spain with a score of 66-56. Ignacio Ortega Lafuente from Spain delivered a standout performance, scoring 17 points and showcasing his skill on the court.
Wheelchair basketball originated as a rehabilitation activity for injured World War II veterans. According to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation, the sport first emerged in 1945 within two hospitals in the United States. The Google Doodle includes an illustration of wheelchair basketball and links to the schedule for the ongoing Paris Paralympics.
Wheelchair Basketball at the Paris Paralympics
Wheelchair basketball made its Paralympic debut at the Rome Games in 1960, with the USA clinching gold medals in both men’s and women’s events. For the Paris Games, eight men’s and women’s teams will compete, a decrease from the 12 teams that participated in the previous edition.
Qualification for the event occurred through Zonal Championships, with the top four nations from each zone securing spots. Teams that did not qualify through these championships had another chance through the repechage tournament.
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