Special Olympics Chile athletes and Unified partners, national authorities, representatives from partner organisations, and event ambassadors celebrate the 500-day countdown to Special Olympics World Games Santiago 2027, where people with and without intellectual disabilities compete on the same team.
Gonzalo Escobar, President of the Special Olympics Latin America Regional Athlete Leadership Council and member of the Santiago 2027 Board of Directors, noted that “with just 500 days to go, the excitement is already palpable. We, the athletes with intellectual disabilities, will show the world that these will be the most beautiful Games in the history of Special Olympics.”
From 16 to 24 October 2027, Santiago 2027 will be the largest unified sporting event in the world, and the first time the World Games will be held in the Southern Hemisphere in the near-sixty year-history of Special Olympics. More than 6,000 athletes from over 170 countries will participate in 23 sports, and the event will host more than 10,000 volunteers and more than 10,000 foreign spectators, including athletes' families and other guests.
Claudia Echeverry, Regional President and Managing Director of Special Olympics Latin America, maintains that “the arrival of the World Games in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time is of historic significance. It is not just a geographical change, but a clear sign that inclusion must be led and experienced in all regions of the world. Santiago 2027 represents a unique opportunity to demonstrate how sport can transform perspectives, unite societies, and accelerate a legacy of inclusion that transcends generations.”
Special Olympics Great Britain recently announced its delegation quota for the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and the nomination process now open. For further details and information about that process, please click here.
Finally, Lou Lauria, Special Olympics Chief of Sport and Competition, emphasizes that “Chile is exceptionally well-prepared. It has everything necessary to host these World Games and for all participants to experience them to the fullest.”