Special Olympics is an international games event organised for and participated by children and adults with intellectual disabilities. This is named ‘special’ for the differently abled status of its participants. And that is why the banner read “Special Olympics”.

The Special Olympics referred to in David Roth’s poem’ Nine Gold Medals’ became special for a great display of human compassion and co-operation by eight differently-abled runners who stopped and came back to rescue one fellow athlete who fell down to the ground during a race. Then they finished the race by walking, holding hands together. To mark that special incident and as a recognition of their sportsman spirit all the nine runners were awarded a gold medal each, making it nine gold medals in a single event.