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Determination Meets Innovation — Invacare and Top End are proud to support athletes participating in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China. These athletes embody the "Yes, You Can" attitude that Invacare stands for. That determination combined with Top End "Technology that Wins" makes for an unbeatable combination.
Racing Athletes — Wheelchair racing is equivalent to Olympics track, including all of the same events. Athletes use pushrims to propel their customized racing chairs to speeds of (30) km/h or more. Racing events take place on a track or a road. Paralympic events include the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 4 x 100m, and 4 x 400m relays and marathon. Meet our racing athletes >>
Handcycling Athletes — Handcycling is comparable to bicycling, except you power the cycle with your arms. Due to increased popularity and competitive racing opportunities, handcycling was added as a Paralympic sport in 2004 for men. This time both men and women will compete. Handcycling is a great cardiovascular workout. It has been adopted as a great exercise routine, but athletes with a need for speed use customized handcycles to race for the gold. Meet our handcycling athletes >>
Tennis Athletes — There is only one key difference between able-bodied tennis and wheelchair tennis rules - athletes who play tennis in wheelchairs are allowed to have the ball bounce twice, and the second bounce does not have to be within the court's boundaries. However, most professional athletes do not use this advantage and just play tennis following the general rules - with one bounce. Meet our tennis athletes >>
Basketball Athletes — Wheelchair basketball is played by two teams of five players each. Depending on their functional abilities a point value from 0.5 (most severely disabled) to 4.5 is given to each player. Five players out of 12 from each team are on the court during playtime and throughout the game the total point value of each team must not exceed 14 points. The measurements of the court and the height of the baskets are the same as in able-bodied Basketball. Basketball wheelchairs are customized to the player's measurements, classification and position on the team. Meet our basketball athletes >>
Winning Technology — Top End, Invacare's sports and recreation division, has been making sports and recreation products since 1986, specializing first in racing chairs, then on to sport-specific chairs designed for handcycling, basketball, quad rugby, and tennis. With the help of its athletes and customers, Top End delivers what people want. Between Paul Schulte — Top End design engineer and one of the best wheelchair basketball players in the world — and Chris Peterson — Top End founder with 20+ years of wheelchair sports and technology experience — Top End takes products to the next level by using the latest materials, innovation, and components. Invacare Top End sport wheelchairs >>
Gold, Silver, Bronze — Athletes from around the world will be using Invacare Top End products to compete at the 2008 Paralympic games in the sports of handcycling, wheelchair racing, basketball, tennis, rugby, shooting, archery and table tennis. How the medals stack up >>
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