We answer the key questions ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.
When are the Paralympics?
The 2024 Paralympic Games begin on August 28 and conclude on September 8.
Across para athletics, para cycling track, para swimming and para taekwondo, there will be 23 gold medals up for grabs on the Paralympics’ first competitive day of action on August 29.
The final day of 2024 Paralympics will be on September 8, with more medals to be decided in para athletics, para canoe, para swimming and wheelchair basketball.
When are the opening and closing ceremonies – and what will happen?
The Games officially open on August 28 with the opening ceremony, which will be held outside a stadium for the first time in the competition’s history.
Athletes from over 180 nations will join a procession through the streets of Paris, passing some of the French capital’s iconic landmarks, such as the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde.
The inclusion-focused ceremony will allow members of the public to watch along the route, with formal events conducted in front of ticket-holding spectators at Place de la Concorde.
The closing ceremony will take place on September 8.
What venues are hosting Paralympics events?
As has been customary with recent editions of the Paralympics, venues from the Olympics will also be used to host events.
Para athletics will take place at the Stade de France, while blind football will be conducted in a purpose-built stadium, with the Eiffel Tower providing a picturesque backdrop.
Para taekwondo and wheelchair fencing will take centre stage at the magnificent Grand Palais, while Roland Garros opens its doors again for the wheelchair tennis competition.
Chateau de Versailles plays host to the para-equestrian, while Paris will see para triathletes race through the streets and swim in the River Seine.
What sports are in the Paralympics?
There are currently 28 Paralympic sports sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee: 22 of which are held in summer and six in winter.
- Para archery
- Para athletics
- Para badminton
- Blind football
- Boccia
- Para canoe
- Para cycling
- Para equestrian
- Goalball
- Para judo
- Para powerlifting
- Para rowing
- Shooting para sport
- Sitting volleyball
- Para swimming
- Para table tennis
- Para taekwondo
- Para triathlon
- Wheelchair basketball
- Wheelchair fencing
- Wheelchair rugby
- Wheelchair tennis
ParalympicsGB failed to qualify for the blind football, goalball and sitting volleyball competitions in Paris, meaning they will compete across 19 sports.
Are there any new Paralympic sports?
Two sports have made their Paralympic debuts at the previous two games: para canoe and para triathlon at Rio 2016, and para badminton and para taekwondo at Tokyo 2020.
However, that run will end in Paris, with the IPC choosing not to add any sports in 2024.
How many Paralympic gold medals are there in Paris?
There are 549 gold medal are up for grabs across the 22 Paralympic sports in Paris.
Where are the athletes staying?
Around 4,400 athletes from 180 delegations are set to descend on the Paralympic village in Paris. Each delegation has been assigned a specified area in the village, which spans an area equivalent to 70 football pitches.
The village has been designed with accessibility in mind, with paths that ensure ease of movement for wheelchair users. Electric vehicles will also be deployed to transport athletes around the village.
Who are the British medal hopes?
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One of GB’s strongest sports at the Paralympics has been cycling, where all 20 members of the team in Tokyo won at least one medal.
Kadeena Cox won two of her four Paralympic golds in Tokyo, where she also competed in the athletics. She’s sticking to just cycling this time in Paris but remains among ParalympicsGB’s favourites for a medal.
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Dame Sarah Storey became her country’s most successful Paralympian in Japan by increasing her career tally to 17 titles and is also one of the returning stars.
Wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft, boccia champion David Smith and the wheelchair rugby team are just some of those seeking to retain titles, while table tennis player Will Bayley and javelin thrower Hollie Arnold have high hopes of reclaiming former crowns as triathlete Dave Ellis and wheelchair tennis star Alfie Hewett attempt to make up for previous frustrations.
Who are the big stars from other countries?
Bebe Vio, the Italian wheelchair fencing star who appeared in the Rising Phoenix documentary, is targeting a third consecutive Paralympic gold medal in Paris.
The USA’s Oksana Masters is a six-time Paralympian with 17 medals across four sports: para rowing, para cross-country skiing, para biathlon and para cycling.
French para triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant was one of the torchbearers at the Olympic opening ceremony. He will be hoping to bring further cheer to his home crowd.
Norway’s Birgit Skarstein has won Paralympic and world titles in the PR1 women’s single sculls, as well as World Cups in para cross-country skiing. She also made it to the final rounds of a reality TV dance competition.
The men’s 100m T64 race will be competitive. At the Paris 23 Para Athletics World Championships Italy’s Maxcel Amo Manu beat reigning Paralympic champion Felix Streng of Germany and silver medallist Sherman Guity of Costa Rica, who won the race at the Kobe 2024 Worlds.
Sumit Antil is one of the India’s most famous Paralympians, the 26-year-old comes to Paris 2024 as the defending Paralympic champion and two-time defending world champion in the men’s javelin F64.
Source : Sky Sports
