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By Elliott Almond, Mercury News
Fri, Apr. 12, 2002
April 12, 2002—An international event for disabled athletes would primarily be held in the South Bay if San Francisco secures the 2012 Summer Olympics.
A revised bid submitted to the U.S. Olympic Committee this week has Santa Clara County hosting 15 of 19 events for the Paralympics, which is held two weeks after the Games.
Much like the plan for the Olympics, Stanford would play a central role by hosting swimming, track and field, archery and the opening and closing ceremonies.
The proposed bid places six Paralympic events in San Jose: fencing, goalball, judo, soccer, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.
Four events are planned for Santa Clara. Boccia, similar to bocce ball but played by athletes with cerebral palsy, is earmarked for De Anza College in Cupertino, with powerlifting for the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View.
Jan Elix of the San Jose Office of Therapeutic Services said the city has been hosting events for disabled athletes for three decades.
"We have a track record," said Elix, a member of the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee.
The committee, a non-profit group of civic boosters, politicians and Olympians, is campaigning to be the U.S. candidate.
The U.S. Olympic Committee is scheduled to name its candidate among San Francisco, Houston, New York and Washington in November. The International Olympic Committee will pick the host city from about a dozen entries in 2005.
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