From June 25th to July 4th 2011, in Athens, 7.500 Special Olympics athletes from 185 countries, from all ability levels, will compete in 21 Olympic-type sports.
The Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 competition Schedule includes the following sports:

Aquatics

The sport of aquatics involves a wide array of age groups and ability levels, as well as a variety of swimming styles. Aquatics will take place from June 26th to July 3rd 2011, at the Olympic Aquatic Center (Indoor Pool) within the Athens Olympic Sport Complex (OAKA). It is expected that 673 athletes from 119 delegations will participate in 25 events: 25m freestyle,25m backstroke, 25m butterfly, 25m breaststroke, 50m butterfly, 50m breaststroke, 50m freestyle,  50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly, 100m breaststroke, 100m individual medley, 200m individual medley, 200m breaststroke, 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke, 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle. 4x25m freestyle relay, 4x50m freestyle relay, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x50 medley relay, 4x100ml medley relay.
 The aquatics events will take place in the indoor pool of the Aquatic Center, which will be transformed into a 25m pool with the utilization of a bulkhead. In addition, an indoor 25m pool and an outdoor 50m pool will be used as warm up areas for the athletes. The divisioning of the athletes in aquatics is based on three variables: gender, age and ability (time).

Open Water Swimming

The sport of open water swimming will be included for the first time in the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 as a demonstration sport. It will take place at the Sailing Academy, Schinias and the distance for the event is set at 1.5km within a rectangular course close to the shoreline. It is expected that 44 swimmers will compete in a one-day competition on July 1st 2011. With the inclusion of the 10km event for men and women in the 2008 Olympic Games, Open Water Swimming has become quite popular around the world.

Athletics

Special Olympics track and field events include a wide range of the Olympics and Paralympics athletics events, from 100m to marathon run, from relays and wheelchair events to high jump, long jump and shot-put. In addition, Special Olympics include events where athletes with lower abilities can be trained and compete in basic forms of athletic events. Athletics will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 in the Athens Olympic Sport Complex (OAKA). Track and Fields has 26 events, men and women:  Track: 25m, 50m, 100m walking, 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 100m wheelchair, 200m wheelchair, 400m walking, 800m walking, 1500m, 3,000m,  5,000m, 10,000m, Marathon, half-Marathon, shot-put, mini javelin, long jump, standing long jump, high jump,  pentathlon.
 The Athletics participation is estimated to 1.107 athletes that may compete in two events and one relay or two relays and one event. During the first four (4) days there will be divisioning whereas during the last four (4) days finals and awards will take place.

Badminton

Badminton will be held from June 26th until July 3rd 2011 at the Hellinikon Olympic Complex in the Fencing Hall. One hundred sixty (160) athletes, 84 men and 76 women, will participate in 3 disciplines: 1. Singles (Men – Women), 2. Doubles (Men - Women) and 3. Mixed doubles. Divisioning of athletes will be carried out according to gender, age and athletic ability. Badminton is an Olympic sport and is considered to be the fastest racquet sport in the world. The court is rectangle (13,4m x 6, 10 m) and is divided by a net (1,55m). A match is played with one player or two players on each of the opposing sides. The player hits the feather with the racquet so that it passes above the net and it knocks in the court of the opponent. A match consists of the best of three (3) games of 21 points. The number of badminton Special Olympics players internationally is 90.000. The regions with the higher participation are: Asia Pacific (38%), East Asia (35%) and Europe Eurasia (13%).

Basketball

Basketball is one of the favorite sports of Special Olympics athletes. During the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011, the basketball competition will be conducted from June 25th to July 3rd 2011 at the Indoor Hall of the Athens Olympic Sport Complex (OAKA). The competition schedule includes two (2) days with divisioning games and seven (7) days with pools games and with medals games. In total, 679 athletes from 71 teams will participate, competing at the women’s, men’s and unified divisions. The divisioning process for the teams includes a series of short games and it is based upon the assessment of their general playing ability.

Beach Volleyball

Βeach volleyball will be staged for the first time during the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 Competition Schedule, as an exhibition event. The competition will be held at the Hellenic Volleyball Federation Beach Volleyball training Centre, at the Peace & Friendship Stadium (SEF), situated at the Faliron coast.
 The Beach Volleyball competition will be played as an one day event on June 30th 2011, break day of indoor volleyball competition. Participants will be men and women athletes participating in the volleyball competition of the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011. For this first edition, beach volleyball is suggested to be played as a unified sport in both men and women by teams composed of minimum of four (4) athletes (3 Special Olympics athletes and one unified partner), plus up to two substitutes. Court dimensions are suggested to be 8.00m wide and 16.00m long divided by a net. The height of the net is suggested to be at 2,24m for both men and women. The same competition rules with indoor volleyball will be applied to avoid any confusion to participating athletes. Games will be played in pool play (pools of 4 max), one set of 21 points rally scoring system. 

Bocce

Bocce will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF). The competition schedule includes one day for divisioning and seven days of competition in which 340 athletes will participate. The basic principle of Bocce is the throwing of a ball against a target. For a game of Bocce it is required to have two teams, one Bocce court, eight balls (four for each team) and one smaller ball that is used as a target (called Palina). Each team throws their bocce balls and when all eight balls have been thrown (end of frame) the point of the frame is given to the team that has their ball nearest to the pallina. Bocce as Special Olympic sport provides to people with special needs the opportunity to have social contact, develop physically and to gain self-confidence. Next to Soccer and Golf, Bocce is the third most participated sport in the world and is considered the oldest know sport in world history.

Bowling

Although bowling does not belong to the Olympic sports, it is considered to be the most popular sport in Special Olympics. More than 100.000 athletes with mental disabilities, coming from all five continents, take part in this sport. It is a particularly beneficial sport to these people, irrespective of their age or sports abilities, since it ensures physical exercise and at the same time participation and social integration. Bowling games will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 in the Blanos Sports Park, Spata (Pikermiou Avenue). It is a new center for sports and amusement, extended in three floors. Twenty up-to-date synthetic lanes will be used to cover all the needs. The official games that will take place are: individual, double and team (men, women and mixed). Two hundred ninety nine (299) athletes will participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 and the competition schedule includes two (2) days for rankings and six (6) days for playing.

Powerlifting

In Special Olympics, Powerlifting is much more than deadlift, squat or bench press. Powerlifting is effort, persistence and loyalty. Training, determination and attitude, are the key facts that define the balance between a successful or a failed attempt. The barbell, despite testing the physical strength, is also highlighting the athlete’s inner wish to improve, “not to make compromises”.
Powerlifting is going to take place from June 27th to July 3rd 2011 at the Olympic Velodrome (OAKA) and it consists of the following disciplines: squat, bench press and deadlift. Two hundred five (205) athletes, men and women, are going to participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011. They will spread across a morning and an evening session. Before each session, the athletes are weighted, so they can be assigned to bodyweight categories. The athletes may participate in any discipline they want (one, two or all disciplines) and are awarded for each one individually or for the total of the disciplines they competed for. Medal awards follow each session.

Cycling

Cycling is a fascinating sport that requires good physical condition, balance, endurance and tactic. It trains the muscles and strengthens the cardiovascular system. Special Olympics include time trial and road race events in different distances. Apart from the official competition, Unity Sports Event will also be carried out.
 Cycling will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 in the Hellinikon Olympic Softball Venue where the softball venue will be used as the cycling headquarters and the field of play will include the Common Domain of the Hellinikon Olympic Complex. The total number of athletes that will participate in Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 is 194.

Equestrian

Equestrian is one of the most fascinating sports during the Special Olympics World Games. The particularity of the Equestrian sport is that the athletes should cooperate with their horses in order to achieve the best result. The balance, the stability and the right communication between the horse and the rider is one of the most important elements for success in equestrian sport. The competition schedule includes the following events:  dressage, prix caprilli, English equitation, working trails, 2 Person team relays.
 The Equestrian competition will take place from June 27th to July 3rd 2011 at the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. Two fields of play will be used, the indoor arena and the dressage arena. A sand arena for the training and warm up of the horses will also be available. The horses will be accommodated at the stables of the Markopoulo Olympic Equestrian Centre. One hundred twenty three (123) athletes will participate in the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011.

Football

Football is the most popular sport in Special Olympics and the sport with the largest number of participants in the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011. Athletes can improve their overall physical condition throughout training and competition. Apart from the sport itself, Special Olympics include individual skills tests that enable athletes to train and compete in basic football skills. The development of these basic skills is necessary before becoming a member of a football team. These skills include dribbling, shooting, running and kicking. A player’s final score is determined by the sum of the scores achieved in each one of the events.
Football will take place from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 and will be held at two (2) venues in the area of Agios Kosmas/ Hellinikon and one venue in the area of Koropi. The sport consists of 3 events, football 5 a-side, football 7 a-side, football 11-a-side in which 1.268 athletes will participate.

Golf

The sport of golf will be held from June 27th to July 2nd 2011 at the Glyfada Golf Course and will host 135 athletes from 5 different racing levels. Athletes will be divided into categories according to their ability to play, usually in groups of four (4) persons. The categories for the Special Olympics World Summer Games Athens 2011 will be set in those days, depending on the abilities of each athlete. The whole effort of the athlete is to put the ball in a similar hole in the fewest shots possible, depending on the distance.

Gymnastics (Artistic & Rhythmic)

The sport of Gymnastics for the Special Olympics is an individual sport and consists of artistic men, artistic women and rhythmic women.The event of gymnastics combines strength, flexibility and artistry. There are 6 apparatus/events for men’s artistic gymnastics: floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. For women’s artistic gymnastics, there are four (4) apparatus/events: vault, uneven parallel bars, balance beam (low and high) and floor exercise. Finally, there are 5 apparatus/events for rhythmic: rope, hoop, ball club, and ribbon. Athletes can compete in all events or they may be specialized athletes, therefore they will participate in one, two or more events.
The Competition Days for the sport of gymnastics (artistic/rhythmic) are between June 26th and July 3rd 2011. The competition starts with artistic men and women (June 26th - 29th) and follows with rhythmic (June 30th – July 3rd). Both sports will be hosted in the Hellinikon Olympic Indoor Hall and 290 athletes will participate.

Judo

Judo is a sport demanding physical capabilities along with spiritual discipline. It was originated in Japan, as an outcome of the martial arts used by the samurai and it was founded in 1882 by Jigoro Cano. Grapping their uniforms, otherwise the judogi, the contestants use properly force and speed in dependence with the physical characteristics of their opponent in order to prevail over, by throwing him down in the standing position or by other criteria (e.g. pins, arm locks) in the ground position. As a variety of potentially dangerous techniques (e.g. sacrifice throws) are not allowed during training and competition in Special Olympics World Games, Judo is a safe sport for athletes having the proper qualifications.
The Judo games shall be conducted from June 28th to July 2nd 2011 at the facilities of the American College of Greece (DEREE Gym). The form of the event shall be individual games and the formation of the divisions shall be on age, gender, weight and skills basis.

Kayaking

Kayaking Special Olympics is a flat-water racing event where athletes compete over 200m and 500m courses, either on their own or as a pair with another athlete. Kayaking is one of the newest Special Olympics sports that requires fundamental abilities in order to be safe and successful.  The movements are set in motion from main muscle groups of the upper body of the athlete as well as their hands. The modern kayaks are available in a range of designs and materials for specific purposes. The events include the touristic category (with the use of touring boats, which are stable and appropriate for paddling in flat-water and are to be provided by the organizing committee) and the professional category (professional kayaks which are longer and narrower but faster and less stable).
Kayaking will take place from June 28th to July 2nd 2011 at the Schinias Olympic Rowing & Canoeing Centre. The competition program includes the following events: 1. Single Tourist Kayak 500m and 200m, 2. Double Tourist Kayak 500m and 200m and 3. Double Tourist Kayak Unified 500m & 200m.  Totally 61 athletes will participate in the above mentioned events and the divisioning will be according to the athletes age, gender and athletic abilities.

Roller Skating

Roller skating includes singles as well as relay speed events. The sport itself requires the basic equipment (skates) and is quite affordable for everybody to participate. It contains two major categories; that of developing and developed athletes. The developing athletes’ category include 30m Race (Straight Line) and 30m Slalom, while the one of developed athletes’ include 100m, 300m, 500m, and 1000m race along with three relay events (2x100m, 4x100m, 2x200m). Roller skating will take place in the main arena of Peace and Friendship Stadium from June 26th to June 30th 2011.

Sailing  

The speed, the power and the intelligence are three very important assets for the success in any sport and Sailing of the Special Olympics is not different. The best sailors develop the three assets at the maximum of their capabilities.
The sport of sailing will take place at the Sailing Academy at Schinias area from June 27th to July 3rd 2011 and 81 athletes will compete according to their age and sailing level. There are various types of competitions boats that will be offered: single handed (Optimist and Laser 4,7 ), double handed (420) and triple handed (Laser Bahia). Each athlete can participate only to one of the events.

Softball

Softball will take place from June 27th to July 2nd 2011 at the Hellinikon Olympic Softball Venue. It is a team sport and every team is consisted of ten (10) or eleven (11) players. Softball is a popular and developing sport in the USA, Australia, Japan, China, Canada and the equipment includes a glove, a bat, a ball and bases.

Table Tennis

Table tennis is a fast sport that requires excellent coordination of hands and eyes. Special Olympics athletes share the essential elements of force and ability so that they can play table tennis. Apart from the traditional events, Special Olympics competition includes individual skill events that allow the athletes to work and compete in basic skills of table tennis. The development of these basic skills is necessary for the athletes to take part in the events. These skills include bounce of the ball with the racket, volley and backhand.
Table Tennis will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 in the Peace and Friendship Stadium. A total of 297 athletes will compete in three (3) events: 1. Singles (Men – Women), 2. Doubles (Men - Women) and 3. Mixed doubles. The athletes are divisioned taking in consideration the age , the gender and the athletic level.

Handball

Handball is one of the most popular sports of the Special Olympics and is played in an indoor court, measuring 20m X 40m, by two teams. Each team consists of seven (7) players (one goalie and six field players) and their objective is to score a goal in the opponents’ goal. It is a team sport of intense physical contact and its athletes are known for their speed, agility, physical strength and stamina. The Handball Special Olympics includes training in basic individual skills, whose development is needed before the involvement of the athletes in a team. These skills include targeted passing, dribbling and 10m shooting.
Handball will be held from June 26th to July 1st 2011 at the Hellinikon Olympic Complex in the Fencing Hall in two categories, men and women, and a total of fourteen teams, eleven men’s teams and three women’s.

Tennis

During the Special Olympics World Summer Games ATHENS 2011 the sport of tennis will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 at the Olympic Tennis Center in Athens Olympic Sport Complex (OAKA). Worldwide, the Tennis Special Olympics athletes are more than 24.000. In Athens 163 athletes will participate in three (3) events: 1. Singles (Men – Women), 2. Doubles (Men - Women) and 3. Mixed doubles.

Volleyball

Volleyball is considered as one of the most team-oriented sports at the Special Olympics World Games. Athletes participating at the games need to cooperate with their teammates, since no team may base upon individual athletes’ performances.
Volleyball will be held from June 26th to July 3rd 2011 at the Olympic Stadium in “G. Kassimatis” Hall of Athens Olympic Sport Complex (ΟΑΚΑ), where three (3) competition areas will be installed, under the same roof.  Participating athletes will compete in three categories, men, women and Unified (three Special Olympics athletes and three volleyball players, called “partners”).  A divisioning process will be organized during the first days of the program, to identify the competition skills of all participating teams and athletes. In Volleyball competition, a total of 294 athletes and 27 teams have been registered.