World Transplant Games

The World Transplant Games (WTG) are an international multi-sport event, occurring every two years, organized by the World Transplant Games Federation (WTGF). The Games promote amateur sport amongst organ transplant recipients, living donors and donor families.

Summer and winter sports alternate years and the event is open to anyone who has received a solid organ transplant including liver, heart, lung, kidney, pancreas or bone marrow. The idea is that people who receive these organs need to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives and since such drugs affect athletic performance, the games were started to give donors a level playing field.^[1]

History

The games started in 1978 in Portsmouth, England with about 100 athletes from the UK, France, Germany, Greece and the United States.

The 2023 games in Perth, Australia include competitors from more than 60 countries and include events over seven days such as cycling, swimming, darts, bowling and more.^[2] There are ceremonies during each of the games to honor the families of the deceased and living donors.^[1]

Summer Games

Source:^[3]

In 1987 and 2017 the World Transplant Games Federation was officially formed.

Now has nearly 70 member countries.

2013 and 2021 Recognized by IOC.

Year	Games	Host	Dates	Nations	Athletes	Ref
1978	1	Portsmouth, Great Britain		5	100
1979	2	Portsmouth, Great Britain
1980	3	New York City, United States
1982	4	Athens, Greece
1984	5	Amsterdam, Netherlands
1987	6	Innsbruck, Austria
1989	7	Singapore
1991	8	Budapest, Hungary
1993	9	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
1995	10	Manchester, Great Britain
1997	11	Sydney, Australia
1999	12	Budapest, Hungary
2001	13	Kobe, Japan
2003	14	Nancy, France
2005	15	London, Ontario, Canada
2007	16	Bangkok, Thailand
2009	17	Gold Coast, Australia
2011	18	Gothenburg, Sweden
2013	19	Durban, South Africa				[4]
2015	20	Mar del Plata, Argentina	23 – 30 August	44	1,110	[5]
2017	21	Málaga, Spain	25 June – 2 July	52	2,500	[6]
2019	22	Newcastle upon Tyne and Gateshead, Great Britain	17 – 23 August	60	2,400	[7]
2021	23	5K AnyWay (2021 Games set for Houston cancelled)	Virtual			[8]
2023	24	Perth, Australia	15 – 21 April
2025	25	Dresden, Germany	16 – 23 August			[9]

Winter Games

Source:^[10]

Year	Games	Host	Dates	Nations	Athletes	Ref
1994	1	Tignes, France
1996	2	Pra-Loup, France
1999	3	Snowbird, Utah, United States
2001	4	Nendaz, Switzerland
2004	5	Bormio, Italy
2008	6	Rovaniemi, Finland
2010	7	Sainte-Foy-Tarentaise, France
2012	8	Anzere, Switzerland
2014	9	La Chapelle-d'Abondance, France
2016	-	not held				[11]
2018	10	Anzère, Switzerland	7–12 January
2020	11	Banff, Alberta, Canada	23–28 February			[12]
2022		(Postponed)				[13]
2024	12	Bormio, Italy	3–8 March			[13]

Sports

Source:^[14][15][16]

Youth and Core Sports

19 Youth Sports: 10 Summer + 9 Winter Sports^[17]

20 Core Sports: 14 Summer + 6 Winter Sports^[18][19]

Summer: Badminton, Bowling, Cycling, Darts, Golf, Petanque, Road Running, Squash, Swimming, Track & Field, Table Tennis, Tennis, 3 on 3 Basketball, Volleyball

Winter: Curling, Biathlon, Skiing, Snowboarding, Cross Country, Snowshoeing

All Sports

Summer: Athletics Athletics (road race) Swimming Cycling Kayak Badminton Table tennis Paddle tennis Tennis Squash Triathlon Bowling Darts Golf Lawn bowls Pétanque Tejo 3x3 basketball Volleyball

Winter: Biathlon Curling Snowboarding Skiing Slalom Giant Slalom Super Giant Slalom Parallel Slalom Nicholas Cup : Slalom Race for Children (A Ski Event for Transplanted Children)

SPORTS – DONORS (including deceased donor families and living donors) • Road Race • 50m Freestyle • Athletics: 100m sprint, ball throw, long jump

Records

Results & Awards

Age Groups

Seniors age groups:

• (18-29), (30-39), (40-49), (50-59), (60-69), (70-79) and (80+). Doubles events: (18-29), (30-49) and (50+).

Juniors age groups:

• (5 years and under), (6-8), (9-11), (12-14) and (15-17). Juniors 16 or 17 years of age are permitted to compete in adult age events, but must then compete only in adult events.

Medals

Source:^[20]

Summer

1978:^[21] 99 competitors UK, France, Germany, Greece and the USA.

2011: ^[22] Sweden 17-24 June, 2011 Team UK 115 Gold, 94 Silver and 77 Bronze medals

2013: ^[23]

2015: ^[24]

2017: ^[25]

2019: ^[26]

2021: ^[27]

2023: ^{[28][29][30][31][32]}

2025: ^[33][34][16]

Winter

2020: ^[35][36]

2024: ^[37][38]