Paralympic Timeline

Sitting volleyball became a Paralympic sport two decades after its invention in 1956.

• Standing volleyball was a medal sport at Toronto1976.
• Sitting volleyball became a medal sport at Arnhem 1980 after being a demonstration sport four years earlier.

Both the men’s sitting and standing volleyball teams made their Paralympic debuts at New York 1984.

• The Men’s Standing National Team finished sixth (1-5).
• The Men’s Sitting National Team finished eighth (0-5).

Both teams earned spots at Seoul 1988 as Paralympic hosting duties officially joined with Olympic bids.

• The Men’s Standing National Team finished sixth (0-5).
• The Men’s Sitting National Team finished 10th (0-5).

The U.S. earns its first Paralympic semifinal berth at Barcelona 1992.

• The Men’s Standing National Team (3-5) won three times in pool play and earned a berth in the semifinal round. They later fell to Czechoslovakia in the bronze medal match, 3-1.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team (2-5) claimed its first Paralympic wins with a pair of victories over Spain and finished 11th.

Enjoying some southern hospitality at home in Atlanta 1996.

• The Men’s Standing National Team (3-3) took second in its pool and picked up a quarterfinal win over Israel, 3-0. In the semifinals, it fell to eventual gold medalist, Germany.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team (1-6) finished 11th after a 3-0 sweep over Argentina in the final match.

Standing volleyball makes its final Paralympic appearance at the turn of the millennium’s Sydney 2000.

• The Men’s Standing National Team (4-2) won pool A but lost two close five-set matches in the semifinals and medal round for a fourth-place finish.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team (0-7) finished 12th after qualifying for its fifth consecutive Paralympic Games.

Women’s Paralympic volleyball debuts at Athens 2004, and the U.S. earns its first podium.

• The Women’s Sitting National Team (4-3) earned bronze after defeating Slovenia in four sets.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team (2-4) finished sixth, its best Paralympic finish, by downing Japan in five sets during the 5-8 classification round.

The U.S. claims its first Paralympic silver at Beijing 2008.

• The Women’s Sitting National Team (3-2) earned silver after a five-set win over the Netherlands in the semifinal. They later lost to China in the gold medal match.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team did not qualify.

Another podium spot as rivalry with China heats up at London 2012.

• The Women’s Sitting National Team once again claimed silver with a 3-2 record, falling to China in the gold medal match.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team did not qualify.

For the first time, it’s gold as both men and women compete at Rio 2016.

• The Women’s Sitting National Team (4-1) swept rival China in the gold medal match for the first U.S. Paralympic volleyball gold medal.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team (0-4) finished eighth after clinching a Paralympic berth for the first time since 2004.

One year longer wait, same result at Tokyo 2020 (delayed one year due to COVID-19).

• The Women’s Sitting National Team made history once again claimed gold with a 4-1 record and a four-set win over China in the gold medal match.
• The Men’s Sitting National Team did not qualify.