Italian Ice

All eyes were on Torino, Italy, as Paralympians gathered to compete against the world's best of the best.

On March 1, in Rome, Italy, the area of the Colosseum, under the Arch of Constantine, was transformed into a stage. Under a burst of red, blue, and green (the Paralympic colors), the Paralympic Flame was ignited.

The Flame traveled to the peak of Monte Rosa in Italy's Piedmont region on March 5-6 and was exchanged by two people with disabilities. From there it went to the Paralympic Village in Torino on March 8, arriving in the Piazza Castello. It then visited a number of accessible landmarks throughout Torino to acknowledge that those facilities had been built or renovated to be accessible for people with disabilities.

Finally, on March 10, the Flame started its journey to the stadium from the city's center. Following a parade through the streets, the Flame arrived in the Olympic Stadium, signifying the start of the Paralympic Games.


Find out more on how the U.S. Paralympic Team fared in such events as curling, sled hockey, Alpine skiing, and Nordic skiing. Also see the final rankings of the countries competing in the Paralympics.

To order the May 2006 SPORTS 'N SPOKES, Click Here.
To Subscribe, Click Here.