About deaf sports

History of foundation

1871 - 1924

The origins of deaf sports trace back to the late 19th century with the establishment of the Glasgow Deaf Athletic Football Club in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1871. Glasgow also hosted the first documented international deaf sporting event in 1891, when the national teams of England and Scotland competed at the famous Ibrox Stadium before an audience of three thousand.

However, the development of the Deaflympic movement was significantly influenced by the creation of a cycling club for the deaf in France in 1899. This club evolved into the Paris Sports Club for Deaf Mutes (1911) and later into the French Deaf Sports Federation (1918). In 1924, Paris hosted the first “International Silent Games,” featuring 148 athletes from nine European countries. Eugène Ruben-Alkais, a car mechanic and amateur cyclist often referred to as the “Pierre de Coubertin of the deaf,” played a pivotal role in founding the cycling club and the global movement for deaf athletes.

1948 - 1949

Following the success of the Silent Games, the International Committee for Silent Sport, now known as the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), was established. In 1948, when the Wheelchair Games — the precursor to the Paralympic Games — took place in Stoke Mandeville, England, the Deaf community was already fully immersed in preparing for their first Winter Games, held in Seefeld, Austria, in 1949.

The first steps of the Deaflympic movement established its fundamental characteristics, which prevented deaf sports from merging with either the Olympic or Paralympic movements later on. A defining feature was that French organizations, which laid the foundation for the ICSD, were established by deaf individuals themselves. For the hearing-impaired community, these sporting events also served as cultural gatherings, fostering social interaction. Competitions were organized under the same rules as those for hearing athletes, with the key eligibility criterion being a hearing loss of at least 55 decibels in the better ear.

1955 - 1957

In 1955, the ICSD was officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee. Today, the organisation unites more than 110 national committees, and has overseen 24 Summer Deaflympics and 18 Winter Deaflympics.

The 1957 Summer Deaflympics in Milan marked a milestone for the USSR, as Soviet athletes participated for the first time. Since then, both Soviet and Russian athletes have consistently ranked among the top three in terms of medal tally at the Games.

Deaf Sports in Russia

1913-2010

Although Russian deaf sports joined the Deaflympic movement relatively late, they boast a rich history. The first Russian Deaf Sports Club was established in 1913 at the Arnold-Tretyakov School for Deaf Mutes.

A new phase began in 1924 with the formation of the All-Russia Society of Deaf-Mutes, which included a dedicated sports department. This later evolved into the All-Union Sports Federation of Deaf Sports. In 1992, the Russian Sports Union of the Deaf was established, and in 2010, it became the All-Russian Sports Federation of Sports of the Deaf (ARSFSD).