Start of the 2016 Paralympics

Start of the 2016 Paralympics 

Start of the 2016 Paralympics 

Start of the 2016 Paralympics

What started as a small gathering of British WWII veterans in 1948 has bloomed into the world’s largest sporting event for athletes with physical disabilities, drawing 4,500 athletes from 176 countries worldwide.

Today’s Doodle celebrates the opening of the 2016 Summer Paralympics and highlights the incredible feats of athleticism the participants will demonstrate in Rio. They’ll go for gold during a year of firsts: Rio, the first Latin American city to host the Paralympics, will debut canoeing and paratriathlon among the more than 500 existing events.

Tune in to cheer your favorite Paralympians on through September 18 when the Games wrap up.