Canadian sport event for disabled athletes
The
Defi sportif
(
French pronunciation:
[defi
sp??tif]
,
sports challenge
) is a multi-sport event for disabled athletes. The Defi sportif is unique in that it involves athletes of the five types of disabilities: auditory, physical, psychiatric, intellectual, and visual as well as athletes of all levels: from students, to up-and-coming athletes and
Paralympic
athletes from different countries participate. The Defi sportif is held every year in
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada. The main site is Montreal's
Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard
, but other sites in Montreal are used, such as
Centre Pierre-Charbonneau
,
College de Maisonneuve
,
Mount Royal
,
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
, etc.
History
[
edit
]
The first Defi sportif opened on April 19, 1984, under the auspices of the organization known as the Regional Association for the Recreation of Disabled Persons of the Island of Montreal. The inaugural Defi sportif welcomed no less than 720 athletes competing in 16 sports at three sites. In fact, it is the first time that associations representing all five types of disability gather to participate at one sporting event.
One of the events goals was to be self-financing. To that end the business community was approached and by the event's second year, numerous patrons, partners and sponsors lent their support and popular Quebec humorist
Yvon Deschamps
signed on as
spokesman
, a role he would play for the next fifteen years.
In 1986, the Defi sportif was named "Sporting Event of the Year" by the Montreal-Concordia Sports Commission.
The Defi sportif was originally a provincial event, but by 1989, more and more sports clubs from outside Quebec sent participants, and in the early 1990s, the Defi sportif went officially international with athletes Canada, the
United States
and
France
.
In 1998, the Defi sportif hosted athletes from eight countries, including
Germany
, France,
Australia
and
Poland
and was named the Quebec international sports event of the year.
In 2005, the Defi sportif welcomed some 2700 athletes over five days of competition. Its official spokespeople included wheelchair athlete
Chantal Petitclerc
.
In 2006, the Defi sportif welcomed some 2800 athletes over its run from April 26 to 30. Its official spokespeople once again included Petitclerc.
Games
[
edit
]
No.
|
Year
|
Host City
|
Events
|
1
|
1984
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
2
|
1985
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
3
|
1986
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
4
|
1987
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
5
|
1988
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
6
|
1989
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
7
|
1990
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
8
|
1991
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
9
|
1992
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
10
|
1993
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
11
|
1994
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
12
|
1995
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
13
|
1996
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
14
|
1997
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
15
|
1998
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
16
|
1999
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
17
|
2000
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
18
|
2001
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
19
|
2002
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
20
|
2003
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
21
|
2004
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
22
|
2005
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
23
|
2006
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
24
|
2007
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
25
|
2008
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
26
|
2009
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
27
|
2010
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
28
|
2011
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
29
|
2012
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
30
|
2013
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
31
|
2014
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
32
|
2015
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
33
|
2016
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
34
|
2017
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
35
|
2018
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
36
|
2019
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada
|
|
37
|
2020
|
Montreal
,
Quebec
, Canada (Virtual)
|
|
|
Sports involved
[
edit
]
Competitions in the following sports are held at the Defi sportif:
- Badminton
- Ball hockey
- Boccia
- Cycling
- Goalball
- Rhythmic gymnastics
- Soccer
- Swimming
- Track and field
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- Wheelchair basketball
- Wheelchair fencing
- Wheelchair racing
- Wheelchair rugby
References
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
|
---|
|
Regional
|
---|
Africa
| |
---|
Americas
|
- Pan American
- Central American and the Caribbean
- Latin American
- North American
- South American
- Caribbean
|
---|
Asia
| |
---|
Europe
| |
---|
Oceania
| |
---|
Intercontinental
| |
---|
|
National
|
---|
Africa
| |
---|
Americas
| |
---|
Asia
| |
---|
Europe
| |
---|
|
Historical
1
|
---|
Pre-Modern Olympics
(in order, from 1900 BC to 1859 AD)
| |
---|
Alternatives to the
Modern Olympics
| |
---|
Defunct regional or
community events
| |
---|
|
|
|