“Goalball was devised in 1946 in an effort to rehabilitate visually impaired veterans who returned from World War II. In 1976, it was then introduced to the world at the Paralympic Games in Toronto.
The sport, exclusively for athletes with visual impairments, consists of two halves of 12 minutes each and athletes wear blackout masks on a playing court.
The object of the game is to roll the ball into the opposite goal while opposing players try to block the ball with their bodies. Bells inside the balls help orient the players, indicating the direction of the on-coming ball. Therefore, while play is in progress, complete silence is required in the venue to allow the players to instantly react to the ball.” –> http://www.paralympic.org/goalball
Goalball European Championships history
1983 Greve (DEN)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Austria Denmark
Silver Yugoslavia Finland
Bronze Holland Holland
1985 Olsztyn (POL)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Yugoslavia Germany
Silver Germany Denmark
Bronze Hungary Finland
1987 Milton Keynes (GBR)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Yugoslavia Denmark
Silver Holland Holland
Bronze Israel Great Britain
1989 Vejle (DEN)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Yugoslavia Denmark
Silver Germany Holland
Bronze Finland Germany
1991 Lahti (FIN)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Israel Sweden
Silver Italy Finland
Bronze Hungary Denmark
1993 Loughborough (GBR)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Finland Finland
Silver Czech Republic Denmark
Bronze Italy Germany
1997 Estocolmo (SWE) (men); Nottingham (GBR) (women)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Slovenia Finland
Silver Denmark Sweden
Bronze Sweden Holland
1999 Walsall (GBR)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Denmark Finland
Silver Hungary Sweden
Bronze Sweden Holland
2001 Budapest (HUN) (men); Neerpelt (BEL) (women)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Hungary Holland
Silver Lithuania Finland
Bronze Germany Denmark
2005 Neerpelt (BEL)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Denmark Germany
Silver Spain Denmark
Bronze Sweden Greece
2007 Antalya (TUR)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Lithuania Finland
Silver Spain Denmark
Bronze Germany Ukraine
2009 München (GER)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Lithuania Great Britain
Silver Slovenia Denmark
Bronze Sweden Finland
2011 Assens (DEN)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Finland Denmark
Silver Lithuania Russia
Bronze Sweden Sweden
2013 Konya (TUR)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Lithuania Russia
Silver Spain Turkey
Bronze Turkey Israel
2015 Kaunas (LTU)
Men‘s competition: Women‘s competition:
Gold Turkey Turkey
Silver Finland Uraina
Bronze Lithuania Russia
Goalball European Championships medal standings
Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
Denmark | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
Finland | 6 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
Sweden | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 |
Germany | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
Holland | 1 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
Lithuania | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
Hungary | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Yugoslavia | 3 | 1 | – | 4 |
Israel | 1 | – | 2 | 3 |
Spain | – | 3 | – | 3 |
Italy | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Great Britain | 1 | – | 1 | 2 |
Russia | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Slovenia | 1 | 1 | – | 2 |
Turkey | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Austria | 1 | – | – | 1 |
Czech republic | – | 1 | – | 1 |
Greece | – | – | 1 | 1 |
Ukraine | – | 1 | 1 | 2 |