Reception With 113 nations participating all were invited to the Official Reception in
Vienna after the teams arrived. At the Reception teams and nations could meet other athletes, take photos and talk to media from all over the world. This was the
Special Olympics World Games first time that this event was held. The Reception took place on March 16, 2017, at the
Vienna, Rathaus.
Arrivals Most athletes arrived at
Vienna International Airport on March 14, 2017, and were given Special Austria 2017 necklaces and gear for their stay. The Austrian government denied the visas for teams from Ghana and Afghanistan, keeping them from competing. The grounds for denial conveyed to the Ghana team were that Austria believed that the athletes would not return to Ghana after the competition.
Tim Shriver, chairman of the board of Special Olympics International, said: "On paper, six athletes of more than 2,500 did not attend the 2017 World Games. But for those six, it is a nightmare."
Opening ceremony The opening ceremony was on March 18, 2017. The games were officially opened by
Alexander Van der Bellen.
Jason Mraz and
Grace VanderWaal, with a choir of children from
Schladming and Special Olympics global messengers, performed ''"
I Won't Give Up."
Helene Fischer performed "
Fighter"''.
Nations participating Host nation , Austria
Events The following events took place at Austria 2017:
Calendar ==Broadcasting==