Australia competed at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona for physically and vision-impaired athletes. Immediately after the Barcelona Games, the city of Madrid held events for athletes with an intellectual disability. The Madrid results are not included in International Paralympic Committee Historical Results Database. Australia finished 7th in the total medal count, winning 76 medals (24 gold, 27 silver and 25 bronze medals). Australia competed in 13 sports and won medals in 3 sports – swimming, athletics and weightlifting. Australia finished first in the medal tally at the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with Mental Handicap in Madrid.

Notable performances

Notable Australian performances included:

Louise Sauvage, a wheelchair racer, winning 3 gold medals and 1 silver medal. In her first Paralympics, Louise Sauvage, at only 19 became the first women to break the 30-second mark for the 200m with a time of 29.03, winning her third gold medal of the games. "You get such a buzz when you win, I love it", Sauvage said. Priya Cooper, a cerebral palsy swimmer, winning 3 gold medals and 2 silver medals She carried the Australian flag at the closing ceremony. Anne Currie, an S6 swimmer, winning 3 gold and 1 bronze medals Four athletes won two gold medals – visually impaired thrower Russell Short, cerebral palsy sprinter Alison Quinn, visually impaired swimmer Tracey Cross and swimmer Tracy Barrell Jodi Willis competed in athletics and goalball and won gold in the Women's Shot Put B2 and silver in the Women's Discus B2. She was the last Australian athlete to compete in more than one sport at the same Games. Previously many athletes had competed in multiple sports at the same Games.

Team

Australia was represented by 134 athletes (93 men and 41 women). The team was organised around disabilities – amputee, cerebral palsy, vision impaired and wheelchair. Each disability group had its own section manager and staff. This was the last time the Australian team was organised in this manner. The Chef de Mission was George Dunstan.

Team headquarters staff Administration – George Dunstan (Chef de Mission), Derry Beavis (Team Manager), Judy Haines, Paul Griffiths, Adrienne Smith Section Managers – Paul Bird (Amputee), Gary Prior (Vision impaired), Corny van Eldik (Cerebral palsy), Michael Godfrey-Roberts (Wheelchair) Medical – John Burke (Team Medical Officer), Norma Beer, Jane Buckley, Nicola Meintjes, Don Perriman, Greg Ungerer, Lyn Wilcox Escorts – Joanne Sayers, Craig Jarvis, Rob Stubbs

Medalists

| width="78%" align="left" valign="top" | Medal Name Sport Event Athletics Men's 200 m TW3 , Neil Fuller, Karl Feifar, Rodney Nugent Athletics Men's 4 × 100 m relay TS2,4 Athletics Men's Long jump C7–8 Athletics Men's Discus throw B3 Athletics Men's Shot put B3 Athletics Men's Discus throw B3 Athletics Women's 100 m C7–8 Athletics Women's 200 m C7–8 Athletics Women's 100 m TW4 Athletics Women's 200 m TW4 Athletics Women's 400 m TW4 Athletics Women's Javelin throw THS2 Athletics Women's Shot put B2 Swimming Women's 50 m butterfly S3–4 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle S8 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle B1 Swimming Women's 100 m 400 m freestyle B1 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle S6 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle S8 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley SM6–7 Swimming Women's 200 m freestyle S6 Swimming Women's 100 m Breaststroke B3 , Tracy Barrell, Catherine Huggett, Anne Currie Swimming Women's 4×50 m freestyle relay S1–6 Weightlifting Men's 90 kg Athletics Men's 100 m TW3 Athletics Men's 200 m TS2 Athletics Men's 400 m TS2 , Greg Smith, Fabian Blattman, Vincenzo Vallelonga Athletics Men's 4 × 100 m relay TW1–2 Athletics Men's Long jump J2 Athletics Men's Discus throw THS2 Athletics Men's Discus throw THW4 Athletics Men's Shot put THW4 Athletics Men's Discus throw THW6 Athletics Men's Javelin throw THS3 Athletics Men's Pentathlon PS3 Athletics Women's 200 m B2 Athletics Women's 800 m TW4 Athletics Women's Discus throw B2 Athletics Women's Shot put THS2 Swimming Men's 100 m breaststroke B2 Swimming Men's 200 m breaststroke B2 Swimming Men's 200 m individual medley B2 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle S10 Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke B1 Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke S8 Swimming Women's 400 m freestyle S8 Swimming Women's 100 m butterfly S9 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley SM9 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle B2 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley B1 Swimming Men's 100 m butterfly S10 Athletics Men's 100 m C5 Athletics Men's 100 m TS2 Athletics Men's 200 m B1 Athletics Men's 400 m B1 Athletics Men's 400 m TW3 Athletics Men's 800 m B3 Athletics Men's Marathon TW2 , Greg Smith, Fabian Blattman, Vincenzo VallelongaAthletics Men's 4 × 400 m relay TW1–2 Athletics Men's High jump J2 Athletics Men's Javelin throw B3 Athletics Men's Shot put THW6 Athletics Women's 400 m B2 Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle B2 Swimming Men's 50 m freestyle S9 Swimming Men's 100 m backstroke B3 Swimming Men's 200 m backstroke B3 Swimming Men's 200 m individual medley SM10 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle B2 Swimming Women's 100 m backstroke B2 Swimming Women's 100 m butterfly S10 Swimming Women's 200 m individual medley SM10 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle S6 Swimming Women's 50 m freestyle S7 Swimming Women's 100 m freestyle S6 Swimming Women's 200 m breaststroke B1–3

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Medals by disciplineDisciplineTotalArchery0000Athletics13151241Boccia0000Cycling0000Wheelchair fencing0000Football seven-a-side0000Judo0000Powerlifting1001Shooting0000Swimming10121334Table tennis0000Volleyball0000Wheelchair basketball0000Wheelchair tennis0000Total24272576

Events

Archery

Archery was first included in the 1960 Paralympic Games and has been included in every games since, making it one of the oldest sporting events for disabled athletes. Archery is open to cerebral palsy, amputee and wheelchair athletes. Australia represented by: Men – Arthur Fisk, Eric Klein

Australia did not win any medals.

Results AthleteEventResultRankEric Klein Men's Individual AR2118412Arthur FiskMen's Individual AR2116817

Athletics

Athletics, being one of the oldest Paralympic Sports, includes a number of different field events. These events are high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot-put, discus, javelin, club and the pentathlon. There are different classifications according to levels of impairment for athletes to compete in, and the letters are used to indicate the type of event, with 'T' meaning track event and 'F' meaning field event.

Australia represented by: Men – Robert Biancucci, Fabian Blattman, David Bonavita, Brendan Bowden, Allan Butler, Darren Collins, Paul Croft, Mark Davies, Phillip Deveraux, Alan Dufty, John Eden, David Evans, Karl Feifar, Neil Fuller, Terry Giddy, David Goodman, Michael Hackett, Tony Head, Edward Holicky, John Lindsay, Hamish MacDonald, Stuart Miller (guide for Darren Collins), Kerrod McGregor, Kieran Modra, Michael Nugent, Rodney Nugent, Sam Rickard, Jaime Romaguera, Eric Russell, Craig Sayers, Christopher Scott, Russell Short, Greg Smith, Bradley Thomas, Darren Thrupp, Vincenzo Vallelonga, Bruce Wallrodt, Mark Whiteman, Ross Whyte, Paul Wiggins, Jason Willis, Matthew van Eldik, Kyrra Grunnsund

Australia's first medal of the ninth Paralympic Games in Barcelona was won by Canberra-based John Eden who won a silver medal in discus setting a new Australian record with a throw of 39.94 metres.

Women – Marsha Green, Yvette McLellan, Alison Quinn, Louise Sauvage, Donna Smith, Karen Smith, Jodi Willis Coaches – Chris Nunn (amputee), Karen Denman (Cerebral palsy), Jo Hogan (cerebral palsy), Jenni Banks (Wheelchair) Officials – David Reid (Blind Athletics Manager), Trevor Goddard (guide runner), Stuart Miller (guide runner), Rick Grant (personal attendant)

Athletics was Australia's most successful sport, delivering 40 medals – 13 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze. 12 athletes came home with individual gold medals. Australia placed 6 in the overall medal tally for athletics.

AthleteEventResultRankAllan Butler, Karl Feifar, Neil Fuller, Rodney Nugent Men's 4 × 100 m Relay TS2,445.95 WRJohn Lindsay Men's 200m TW327.45 WRRussell Short Men's Discuss B345.94m PRRussell Short Men's Shot Put B313.81m PRDarren ThruppMen's Long Jump5.78 WR Bruce WallrodtMen's Javelin THW425.56 PR

WR = World record

PR = Paralympic record

Boccia

Boccia was first included in the Paralympics in the 1992 Summer Paralympic Games. It started out originally as a team sport for athletes with cerebral palsy, and the disabled players use bowling ramps that have been specially designed to bowl Boccia balls as close as possible to the white jack.

Australia represented by: Men – Burke Gibbons, Corey Molan, Alexander Xeras Women – Lyn Coleman Officials – Tom Organ (Manager)

Australia did not win any medals.

Cycling

Cycling was originally competed in by athletes with vision impairment, with the first events being in the early 1980s. However, in the 1992 Paralympics, events for vision-impaired, amputee and cerebral palsy athletes were combined for the first time. Sighted front riders compete with vision-impaired cyclists in tandem.

Australia represented by: Men – Ronald Anderson, Paul Clohessy, Craig Elliott, Timothy Harris (Pilot for Prue-Anne Reynalds), Paul Lamond (Pilot for Ron Anderson), Stephen John Smith, Peter Stoltzer (Pilot for Paul Clohessy)

Women – Prue-Anne Reynalds Officials – Ken Norris (Manager)

Australia did not win any medals.

Goalball

Goalball is the only Paralympic team sport for vision-impaired athletes and has been part of the competition program since 1976. It is played by two teams of three players who are all blindfolded. The games is played with a ball with noise bells inside. The object is to throw the ball in an underarm style at high speed over the opponent's goal line. Teams defend their goal by lunging in front of the ball to block it with their bodies. Some players can throw the ball at speeds of more than 70 kmh.

Australia represented by: Men – Robert Crestani, Kevin Frew, Warren Lawton, Brett Scarr, Gregory Scott, Mark Scarr Women – Kerrie-Ann Day, Marilyn Mills, Jennette Saxberg, Robyn Stephens, Jodi Willis Officials – Sam Theodore (Manager), Karen Scott (escort)

Australia did not win any medals.

Classifications Athletes in classes B1-B3 compete in an open event (B1 athletes either have no light perception at all or very limited light perception, B3 athletes have the maximum allowable level of vision). All players wear light-resistant goggles to ensure no visual advantage on court.

Judo

Judo has been a part of the Paralympics since 1988 in Seoul. Judo in the Paralympics for vision impaired athletes is very similar to judo for the able-bodied, however competitors are brought to a gripping position right at the start of the match, unlike with sighted competitors. It is organised under the same weight divisions as Olympic judo for the able-bodied.

Australia represented by: Men – Anthony Clarke Officials – Bruce Tatam (escort)

Australia did not win any medals.

Powerlifting

The specific 'Powerlifting' event debuted at the 1992 Paralympics, after previously being known as 'weightlifting', and being limited to just men with spinal cord injuries, then evolving to include athletes with other disabilities and gaining rules identical to Powerlifting for able-bodied athletes. No women competed in the 1992 games, however 25 countries were involved in the competition. Powerlifting is a benchpress competition and includes 10 bodyweight divisions for each men and women.

Australia represented by: Men – Ray Epstein, Brian McNicholl, Steve Green Australia won a gold medal through the world-record-breaking performance of Brian McNicholl. AthleteEventResultRankRay EpsteinMen's Up to 52 kg142.5 kg4Steve GreenMen's Up to 75 kg167.5 kg4Brian McNichollMen's Up to 90 kg227.5 kg WR

Shooting