Lightweight Ukraine Succeeds Among Heavyweight Nations at Paralympics 2012

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Lightweight Ukraine Succeeds Among Heavyweight Nations at Paralympics 2012

PR Newswire KYIV, Ukraine, September 11, 2012

KYIV, Ukraine,September 11, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

Ukrainebecame the only country with GDP under one trillion to make it to the Top 5 at the Paralympics 2012 inLondon. Taking into account GDP volume for each country in the 2012 Paralympics Top 5,Ukrainehas the highest medal return. One medal won by the emerging Eastern European economy was worth under one billion in GDP count, while for all ofUkraine's counterparts, the figure stood from over 16 to more than 31 billion.

Chinatook first place in the competition with 231 medals (95 gold), whileRussia was second with less than half as much - 102 medals (36 gold). Despite the UK team winning a total of 120 medals, it became third in the Games with 34 gold. Only two gold medals short of the UK result were the Ukrainian and Australian teams, who each scored 32 gold medals. It was a close call for the Ukrainian team at the Paralympics games, which took place onAugust 29 - September 9, 2012, as it had beaten the Australians by th only one - its 24- silver medal. Ukrainian footballers got the Eastern European th country its final silver in a match againstRussiaonSeptember 9. The Ukrainian team garnered its most medals in swimming - 44 overall, 17 gold. Another 22 medals were won in athletics.Ukrainealso won gold in cycling road, judo, rowing, and shooting. The British media anticipatedUkraine'simpressive performance - The Telegraph and the BBC dedicated feature pieces toUkraine'ssuccess in Paralympic sports. "[Ukraine] has moved up the Paralympic medals table faster than any other in history," reckons a BBC reporter, noting thatUkrainetook the th 44 spotat theAtlanta1996 Paralympics but finished fourth in the 2008Beijing Games. The BBC highlights the training system for disabled children inUkrainethat allows for future champions: "There is now at least one school in every region ofUkrainededicated to introducing … disabled children to everything from volleyball to athletics and swimming to powerlifting … The experience gives them confidence, friends and an element of physical rehabilitation." The author goes on to say: "Today, this system is recognised as one of the best in the world, despite lower levels of Paralympic funding than in countries such as China, the UK, the US andAustralia."