2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games

The event will mark the first time the World Summer Games will be held in Asia, and only the second time they will be held outside the United States. In addition to almost 7,500 athletes, Special Olympics expects the 2007 World Summer Games to draw 40,000 volunteers, 3,500 event officials and thousands of families, volunteers, spectators and journalists from every continent.

Special Olympics athletes of all ability levels will compete in 25 different Olympic-type and demonstration sports: Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bocce, Bowling, Cricket, Cycling, Dragon Boat Racing, Equestrian, Football (Soccer), Golf, Gymnastics, Judo, Kayaking, Lion Dancing, Powerlifting, Roller Skating, Sailing, Softball, Table Tennis, Team Handball, Tennis and Volleyball, as well as Motor Activities Training Program. Special Olympics athletes not competing in the World Games will play crucial leadership roles off the sports field as officials, assistant coaches, reporters and spokespeople.

Visit the 2007 World Games Web site for information about the Games, available in six languages.

2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games Features
Global Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg — The Final Leg will begin with the ignition of the "Flame of Hope" and the lighting of the torch in Athens, Greece. The torch will travel around the globe to more than 10 cities to celebrate the 2007 World Games and showcase Chinese culture. Law enforcement officers from around the world will serve as Guardians of the Flame as they journey to Shanghai, China, to safely deliver the "Flame of Hope" to the 2007 World Games Opening Ceremonies.

Host Town Program — Delegations from around the world will be hosted throughout China prior to their arrival in Shanghai for the Games. For four days before Opening Ceremonies, the Host Town experience gives Special Olympics athletes a chance to learn more about Chinese culture and acclimate to a new environment, and also helps citizens of China learn more about people with intellectual disabilities.

Healthy Athletes® Screenings — Volunteer medical professionals will provide competing athletes a variety of free health assessments, including vision, dental, audiology and physical therapy. Past Healthy Athletes screenings have changed the lives of many athletes, discovering serious untreated health issues.

Global Policy Summit - Special Olympics International, along with the China Disabled Persons Federation and the 2007 World Games Organizing Committee, will co-host a Global Policy Summit on the Well-being of People with Intellectual Disabilities on 3 October, 2007, in conjunction with the 2007 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Shanghai. Leaders from government, academia, health care, disability, business, philanthropy and sport will gather to discuss the challenges and opportunities for full inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities. Among those expected to address the Summit are: Hui Laingyu, Vice Premier, People's Republic of China; Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California; Ann Veneman, Director of UNICEF; Muhtar Kent, President and COO of the Coca Cola Company; and Dr. Timothy Shriver, Chairman of Special Olympics International.

Opening Ceremonies — An exciting and entertaining show to open the World Games will be produced by award-winning producer/director Don Mischer and take place in the 80,000-seat Shanghai Stadium and will include star-studded entertainment, the Parade of Athletes and the culmination of the Final Leg of the Law Enforcement Torch Run and lighting of the Special Olympics cauldron.

Global Youth Summit — An assembly bringing youth with and without intellectual disabilities together for inspiring and educational discussions. The inaugural summit took place in 2001 at the World Winter Games in Anchorage, Alaska (USA), and was aired on Nickelodeon television (Nick News). The second Global Youth Summit, held in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the 2003 World Summer Games, attracted Nelson Mandela and stars Colin Farrell and Maria Shriver. The show aired on MTV in the United Kingdom. The 2005 Global Youth Summit at the World Games in Nagano, Japan, included more than 300 Japanese youth and attracted former U.S. President Bill Clinton; the show aired on Japanese national television.

Family Forum — An activity tailored for family members of Special Olympics athletes to enable them to learn more about the opportunities available with Special Olympics, and to provide a network of friends and supporters.

International Family Leadership & Support Summit -- An interactive meeting designed to support and empower Special Olympics athlete family members. Five family members will be selected from each of the seven Special Olympics regions. Learn more about the International Family Leadership & Support Summit.

Closing Ceremonies — An event to celebrate the accomplishments of the athletes and officially close the Games.

China, which also will host the 2008 Olympic Games, will become the first country in history to host the Special Olympics World Games, Olympic Games and Paralympic Games — all within the span of just 12 months. The eyes of the world will be on China as it celebrates the true power of sport and the belief that sport can foster the development of a better and more peaceful world.

"China is our movement's future," said Timothy Shriver, President and CEO of Special Olympics. "This pioneering effort to bring the Special Olympics message to the largest nation on earth opens the chance for change, for with sports achievement comes achievement in family, in school, on the job and in life."