Virtus European Summer Games 2026: European Inclusive Sport shines in Poland.
From 3 to 12 July 2026, the city of Bydgoszcz, Poland, hosted the Virtus European Summer Games, Europe’s largest sporting event for athletes with intellectual disabilities. For ten days, more than 600 athletes from 22 nations came together to compete at the highest level and proudly represent their countries.
While the 2030 Winter Games remain at the heart of the campaign supported by the Jeux 2030 Inclusifs Statement, this competition reminds us of a simple truth: disability knows no sporting boundaries. Behind every event, every medal and every performance are athletes who deserve the same recognition as any other competitor.
The Virtus European Summer Games: Europe’s leading event for inclusive sport
Organised by Virtus, the international federation for athletes with intellectual disabilities, including those with additional conditions such as Down syndrome and eligible athletes on the autism spectrum, the Virtus European Summer Games bring together the continent’s top athletes across a wide range of sports.
In 2026, competitions were held in:
- Athletics
- Swimming
- Tennis
- Table Tennis
- Judo
- Karate
- Basketball (3×3 and 5×5)
- Handball
- Indoor Rowing
- Cycling
Athletes compete according to Virtus’ international classification system:
- II1 – Intellectual Impairment
- II2 – Significant Intellectual Impairment requiring higher support needs
- II3 – Athletes with autism who meet the eligibility criteria
This classification system ensures fair competition and allows every athlete to perform to the best of their ability.
Learn more about the Virtus classifications in our dedicated article.
France tops the medal table
All 22 participating nations contributed to the success of this edition, highlighting the continued growth of inclusive sport across Europe.
The French delegation delivered an outstanding performance, finishing at the top of the medal table and demonstrating the strength of the programmes developed by the French Federation for Adapted Sport and its clubs across the country.
A level of performance that still deserves greater visibility
Despite remarkable achievements and an exceptionally high standard of competition, the Virtus European Summer Games remain largely unknown to the general public.
Yet these Games represent the very best of European sport for athletes with intellectual disabilities. They bring together athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers around shared values of excellence, inclusion and personal achievement.
Every medal won is the result of years of training, dedication and commitment.
Disability does not stop at winter sports
For several months, the Jeux 2030 Inclusifs Statement has been calling for the French Alps 2030 Paralympic Winter Games to become fully inclusive by once again integrating adapted sport disciplines.
Our campaign is often associated with skiing because the 2030 Games will be winter Games. However, the message behind the Statement goes much further.
The athletes competing at the Virtus European Summer Games demonstrate every year that intellectual disability sport deserves recognition across all disciplines, whether athletics, swimming, team sports, tennis or cycling.
Our campaign is about the visibility of all athletes with disabilities, regardless of their sport. Inclusion should not be seasonal, nor should it be limited to a small number of highly publicised disciplines.
Raising awareness of inclusive sport
The Virtus European Summer Games 2026 once again demonstrated the richness and diversity of European inclusive sport. The performances achieved in Bydgoszcz reflect both the excellence reached by these athletes and the work that still needs to be done to provide them with the visibility they deserve.
Through the Jeux 2030 Inclusifs Statement, we will continue to defend a simple conviction: every athlete deserves to be seen, recognised and supported, regardless of their disability or sporting discipline.