Paralympics 2018: Google Doodle Celebrates As Game Kicks Off Today

Google took to celebrate the kick off the 2018 Winter Paralympics with the Google Doodle. The games which kick off today, March 9, 2018 in PyeongChang is expected to be the biggest winter Paralympics to date, with more athletes and countries participating than ever before.

More than 560 athletes will vie for more than 80 medals in six sports: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, snowboarding and wheelchair curling.

Another interesting part this season is that three countries will be making their debut Winter Paralympics appearance in South Korea. North Korea and Georgia are sending two athletes each, while Tajikistan has entered their first athlete.

The U.S. is sending the largest delegation of 68 athletes, with Canada sending 52. As with the Olympic Games, Russia’s athletes will again be competing as part of a neutral delegation, called the Neutral Paralympic Athletes, after a doping scandal resulted in Russia’s disqualification from both the 2018 Olympics and Paralympics.