50 Years of Paralympic Winter Games: How Örnsköldsvik 1976 paved the way

Listening to former ski coach Hans Nordin’s reflections on the first-ever Paralympic Winter Games, you would think the event had taken place yesterday, rather than half a century ago.

His reflections are in such vivid detail that decades seem to disappear.

"In the beginning when we started advertising for the Games, the average person had no idea about what it would be like,” Nordin said.

"Nowadays, we, the people of Örnsköldsvik, are proud that we were able to do this.”

Fifty years on from the groundbreaking event in Örnsköldsvik, Sweden, and weeks to go until the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Nordin and Games volunteer Lars Söderlind sat down to share their experiences, and what the event meant to them and the wider community.

Five decades of Paralympic Winter Games

Sixteen years after Rome staged the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960, Örnsköldsvik, a fishing village on the northeastern coast of Sweden, took centre stage as hosts of the first Winter Games.

For Nordin, the journey to the Opening Ceremony on 21 February 1976 began just under a year earlier when he was asked to help organise Para alpine skiing competitions, one of the two sports at the Games.

“I was the chairman of the alpine club in the town,” Nordin said. “We were called by the Swedish organisation – Svenska Handikappidrottsförbundet - about the possibility of organising the alpine competitions. That was around the beginning of March 1975.”

One of the first things he did was to travel to Bad Gerstein, Austria, to get an idea of what it would be like to host Para sport competitions in his home town.

“At that time, Austria had their own nation games for the disabled. We were there for around a week to meet with the organisers and talk to them. It was very exciting for us.

“I had never seen alpine skiers who had disabilities before. We went back to Sweden and decided we would be able to hold the Games in our town, and from there the organising committee began its work.”

A whole new world

Lars Söderlind, who served as a volunteer during the event, described the experience as like entering a whole new world.

“We were asked to be volunteers during the Games. I was asked to be part of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and to serve the Canadian team.

“I was 23 years old. During our education we tried sports that were meant for people with physical disabilities. For me it was a new world.

"It was really exciting to see the athletes doing their sports, whether alpine skiing or Nordic skiing, it was impressive.

Putting together competitions for the inaugural Paralympic Winter Games from scratch was not an easy feat. While Söderlind said that it helped that he and Nordin had prior experience organising sport events, Nordin said that everything was a completely new experience.

“I knew almost nothing. There was a lot to read about, to understand how to ski,” Nordin recalled. “It was very good to have seen Para athletes in action in Bad Gerstein. The way they skied was almost as good as athletes without disabilities. There were no problems when it came to making the course.”

"We were very thankful and grateful for being the club and the town chosen to arrange these Games, it was very big for us,” he added.

Söderlind said, “It was a big thing. I don't think we understood how big it really was until we saw all the other towns who became involved in hosting, and we were one of those.”

Paving a way for a global sporting movement

A total of 198 athletes from 16 countries, including Sweden, Finland and Norway, travelled to Örnsköldsvik to compete in two sports – Para alpine skiing and Para cross-country skiing.

On the slopes, competitors from West Germany and Switzerland excelled with both countries claiming 10 gold medals apiece. Hosts Sweden achieved an impressive haul of 20 medals, including six golds, to take fifth in the overall medals standings.

Söderlind recalled watching the reactions of King Carl XVI Gustaf, who attended the Games on the final day.

“The King was coming via helicopter, and there were lots of people everywhere,” Söderlind said.

“When he saw the first skiers coming down at speed - he thought it was fantastic and couldn't believe how they could ski like that. I met him a couple times after that and every time he spoke about the Paralympic Games!”

Legacy and impact

With the 50th anniversary of Örnsköldsvik 1976 fast approaching, Söderlind and Nordin say their thoughts turn to the impact and legacy of the inaugural Games.

“During the Games, lots of people were happy and cheering, it was really important for people to understand how good the athletes were,” said Söderlind. “I was really proud to be involved in the competition.

“I was also part of the Swedish Paralympic Committee that went to Salt Lake City 2002. There was a sign there which listed all the organisers and the towns involved, and our town was at the top. I was really proud to see that.

“As time has passed people in the town really see the importance of the Games, and it is growing all the time," he said. "Somebody had to take the initial steps, and we were the first!”