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11th Special Olympics World Winter Games
Host city	Graz and Schladming, Austria
Motto	Heartbeat For The World (German: Herzschlag für die Welt)
Nations	113
Athletes	2,277 (1,555 Male & 722 Female)
Events	27 events (9 sports)
Opening	March 18
Closing	March 26
Opened by	Alexander Van der Bellen
Summer
	← 2015 Los Angeles 2019 Abu Dhabi →
Winter
	← 2013 PyeongChang 2025 Turin →; 2022 Kazan →

The 2017 Special Olympic World Winter Games (German: 2017 Special Olympics World Winterspiele) officially called 11th Special Olympics World Winter Games is a Special Olympics, a multi-sports event that was held in Austria from March 14 through March 25, 2017.^[1]

Overview

It was announced in 2012 that the host city for the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games would be Graz and Schladming in Styria, Austria.^[2]

The opening and closing ceremonies were broadcast in the United States on ABC and ESPN. Most events were played live or re-aired on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNNEWS throughout the games.^[3]

The games

Reception

With 113 nations participating all were invited to the Official Reception in Vienna after the teams arrived. At the Reception teams and nations could meet other athletes, take photos and talk to media from all over the world. This was the Special Olympics World Games first time that this event was held. The Reception took place on March 16, 2017, at the Vienna, Rathaus.

Arrivals

Teams being welcomed at Vienna Airport

(left) France being welcomed at Vienna International Airport by supporters (right) Canada supporters hold the Canadian flag while welcoming the Canadian team to Vienna.

Most athletes arrived at Vienna International Airport on March 14, 2017, and were given Special Austria 2017 necklaces and gear for their stay.

The Austrian government denied the visas for teams from Ghana and Afghanistan, keeping them from competing. The grounds for denial conveyed to the Ghana team were that Austria believed that the athletes would not return to Ghana after the competition. Tim Shriver, chairman of the board of Special Olympics International, said: "On paper, six athletes of more than 2,500 did not attend the 2017 World Games. But for those six, it is a nightmare."^[4]

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was on March 18, 2017. The games were officially opened by Alexander Van der Bellen. Jason Mraz and Grace VanderWaal, with a choir of children from Schladming and Special Olympics global messengers, performed "I Won't Give Up." Helene Fischer performed "Fighter".^[5]

Nations participating

* Host nation

		Athletes^[6]
Nations participating
Country		Male	Female	Total	Events
Africa
Burkina Faso		7	3	10	floorball
Ivory Coast		12	7	19	floorball
Ghana		10	0	10	floorball
Kenya		12	0	12	floor hockey
Namibia		13	7	20	floorball
Nigeria		20	0	20	floorball, floor hockey
South Africa		18	6	24	floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating
Uganda		16	0	16	floor hockey
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan		2	2	4	snowshoeing
Australia		9	3	12	alpine skiing, snowboarding
Bangladesh		15	13	28	floor hockey
Bharat		45	45	90	alpine skiing, floorball, floor hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, snowshoeing
Indonesia		8	0	8	floorball
Malaysia		2	2	4	snowshoeing
New Zealand		10	3	13	alpine skiing, snowboarding
Pakistan		6	6	12	cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Serendib		6	2	8	floorball
Singapore		13	1	14	floorball, speed skating
East Asia
China		44	32	76	cross-country skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating snowshoeing
Chinese Taipei		26	14	40	floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Hong Kong		31	16	37	floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Nippon		37	17	54	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, snowshoeing
South Korea		46	19	65	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, snowboarding
Macau		5	5	10	figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Mongolia		12	2	14	cross-country skiing, floorball, snowshoeing
Europe\Eurasia
Andorra		4	1	5	alpine skiing
Armenia		1	0	1	cross-country skiing
Austria*		230	90	320	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, floor hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, snowshoeing, stick shooting
Azerbaijan		10	0	10	floorball
Belarus		9	0	9	cross-country skiing
Belgium		15	11	26	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing
Bosnia and Herzegovina		8	8	16	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing
Bulgaria		4	4	8	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Croatia		19	10	29	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Cyprus		16	6	22	floorball, floor hockey
Czech Republic		21	11	32	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, snowboarding
Denmark		10	4	14	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, figure skating
Estonia		12	4	16	cross-country skiing, floorball
Finland		25	9	34	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, figure skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing
France		16	13	29	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Macedonia		1	0	1	alpine skiing
Georgia		2	5	7	alpine skiing, figure skating, snowshoeing
Germany		48	27	75	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, snowshoeing, stick shooting
Gibraltar		14	1	15	alpine skiing, floorball, snowshoeing
Great Britain		9	12	21	alpine skiing, figure skating
Hellas		12	2	14	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Hungary		23	10	33	alpine skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Iceland		2	2	4	figure skating
Ireland		24	2	26	alpine skiing, floorball
Isle of Man		9	3	12	floorball, snowshoeing
Israel		12	2	14	floorball, snowshoeing
Italy		21	13	34	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing
Kazakhstan		14	12	26	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, snowboarding, snowshoeing
Kosovo		1	1	2	alpine skiing
Kyrgyzstan		2	1	3	alpine skiing, speed skating
Latvia		14	6	20	cross-country skiing, floorball, snowshoeing
Liechtenstein		4	4	8	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing
Lithuania		25	4	29	cross-country skiing, floor hockey, snowshoeing
Luxembourg		13	11	24	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, stick shooting
Moldova		2	0	2	speed skating
Monaco		17	6	23	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Montenegro		4	2	6	alpine skiing, snowshoeing
Netherlands	15	10	25	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, speed skating
Norway	23	12	35	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, snowboarding, speed skating
Poland	32	14	46	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, speed skating, snowshoeing
Romania	9	6	15	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, snowshoeing
Russia	50	29	79	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, floor hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, snowshoeing
San Marino	4	0	4	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Serbia	10	9	19	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing
Slovakia	10	6	16	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating
Slovenia	10	8	18	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Spain	30	22	52	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, snowshoeing
Sweden	30	11	41	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, floor hockey, figure skating, snowshoeing
Switzerland	38	12	50	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, snowboarding
Tajikistan	4	4	8	cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Turkmenistan	2	1	3	figure skating, speed skating
Ukraine	16	2	18	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey
Uzbekistan	9	10	19	alpine skiing, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Latin America
Argentina	11	5	16	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floorball, snowboarding, snowshoeing
Chile	4	4	8	alpine skiing, snowboarding
Costa Rica	18	2	20	floor hockey, snowshoeing
Cuba	12	0	12	floor hockey
Dominican Republic	2	2	4	snowshoeing
Mexico	29	4	33	floorball, floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating
Uruguay	0	9	9	floorball
Venezuela	16	6	22	floorball, floor hockey, speed skating, snowshoeing
MENA
Algeria	16	0	16	floor hockey
Brunei	2	2	4	snowshoeing
Egypt	18	2	20	floor hockey, snowshoeing
Iran	11	0	11	floor hockey
Iraq	2	2	4	snowshoeing
Jordan	4	4	8	speed skating, snowshoeing
Lebanon	5	4	9	cross-country skiing, snowshoeing
Libya	2	0	2	snowshoeing
Morocco	16	2	18	floor hockey, snowshoeing
Oman	2	2	4	snowshoeing
Palestine	2	0	2	snowshoeing
Qatar	5	0	5	speed skating, snowshoeing
Saudi Arabia	6	0	6	speed skating, snowshoeing
Syria	4	2	6	cross-country skiing, speed skating, snowshoeing
Tunisia	16	2	18	floor hockey, snowshoeing
United Arab Emirates	20	3	23	floor hockey, speed skating, snowshoeing
North America
Canada	68	40	108	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, speed skating, snowshoeing
Jamaica	18	0	18	floor hockey, speed skating
Saint Lucia	12	4	16	floor hockey
Trinidad and Tobago	10	6	16	floor hockey
United States	82	57	139	alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, speed skating, snowshoeing
		1,555	722	2,277

Events

The following events took place at Austria 2017:^[7]

Calendar

OC	Opening ceremony	●	Event competitions	1	Gold medals	EG	Exhibition gala	CC	Closing ceremony

March	18 Sat	19 Sun	20 Mon	21 Tue	22 Wed	23 Thu	24 Fri	25 Sat	Gold medals
Ceremonies	OC							CC
Alpine skiing		●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Cross-country skiing		●	●	●	●	●	●	●
Figure skating		●	●	●	●	●
Floorball		●	●
Floor hockey			●	●	●	●	●	●
Short track speed skating		●	●	●	●	●	●
Snowboarding		●	●	●	●	●	●
Snowshoeing		●	●	●	●	●	●	●
March	18 Sat	19 Sun	20 Mon	21 Tue	22 Wed	23 Thu	24 Fr	25 Sat	Gold medals