What are the Deaflympics?
The Deaflympics are the world multi-sport games for deaf athletes — first held in Paris in 1924 as the International Silent Games, making them the oldest multi-sport event in the world after the Olympic Games themselves. Summer and Winter editions each run on a four-year cycle; Tokyo staged the 25th Summer Games in November 2025, marking the event's centennial era.[1] [2]
Who organizes the Deaflympics?
The International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD), recognized by the IOC, owns the Games; national deaf sports federations enter their countries' teams. Competition is adapted visually — starting lights instead of guns, flags instead of whistles — and hearing aids and cochlear implants are not worn in competition to keep the field level.[1] [3]
When and where are they held?
Every four years in Summer and Winter editions. The Tokyo 2025 Summer Deaflympics ran 15–26 November 2025 across 21 sports — the first Deaflympics in Japan.[2] [4]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Summer | Tokyo (JPN), 15–26 Nov — 25th Summer Games |
| 2021 | Summer | Caxias do Sul (BRA) — held May 2022, postponed |
| 2019 | Winter | Chiavenna–Valtellina (ITA) |
| 2017 | Summer | Samsun (TUR) |
| 2015 | Winter | Khanty-Mansiysk (RUS) |
| 2013 | Summer | Sofia (BUL) |
| 2009 | Summer | Taipei (TPE) |
| 1924 | Summer | Paris (FRA) — inaugural International Silent Games |
The 2021 Summer edition (Caxias do Sul, Brazil) was held in May 2022 after a pandemic postponement.[5]
Since when do they exist?
Since 1924 — a century of continuous Games predating the Paralympic movement by decades. The Deaflympics remain separate from the Paralympics: deaf sport maintained its own games when the Paralympic program took shape.[1] [2]
How do athletes qualify?
Athletes must have a hearing loss of at least 55 decibels in the better ear, verified by audiogram, and are selected and entered by their national deaf sports federation, within per-sport qualification standards and quotas set by the ICSD and its sport partners.[1] [3]
Why do the Deaflympics matter?
They are the pinnacle of deaf sport worldwide — a century-old, IOC-recognized games with strict eligibility and national-team selection. Deaflympic medals are the highest international honor available in deaf sport.[1] [2]
Who competes?
National deaf sports teams from some 70–80 countries at recent Summer editions — several thousand athletes across sports from athletics and swimming to basketball, football and judo.[2] [4]
References
- ICSD — Deaflympics (official site). Accessed August 2026.
- Nippon.com — Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics: a century of sporting action. Accessed August 2026.
- Olympics.com — Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics: preview and key facts. Accessed August 2026.
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government — Tokyo 2025 Deaflympics. Accessed August 2026.
- Wikipedia — 2025 Summer Deaflympics (background). Accessed August 2026.