Paris Paralympics 2024: Here is What You Have To Know

By Amelia Cho

1. Introduction

Every four years, the world comes together to witness athletes push the limits of human capability. The Paralympics are a testament to resilience and skill, offering a unique perspective on competitive sports. From August 28th to September 8th, the official Paralympics Games will begin in Paris with its start off. In this guideline for the Paris Paralympics 2024, we walk you through the history, sports, and steps that make the Paralympics a defining event in athletics.

Starting this Wednesday, more than 4,400 athletes across 169 countries will be represented in the upcoming Paralympics in Paris. China, Great Britain, and the United States will have one of the largest populations of athlete pools with more than 200 from each country, while more than 12 other countries will have athletes with less than five. 

What is the Paralympics? 

Defined by Merriam-Webster, the Paralympics is a series of international contests for athletes with disabilities that are associated with and held following the summer and winter Olympic Games. 

Why is the Paralympics important? 

The disability community is often marginalized, both in everyday life and at significant events. It is essential to highlight athletes who have earned recognition for their dedication and resilience.

2. History of the Paralympics

Staying true to the Greek words, “Paralympic” comes from the Greek word “para,” meaning “alongside” Olympics. The Paralympics and Olympics are held concurrently with just a few weeks separating the two events, showing the deeper meaning of connection holds between the world of sports.

Despite the coexistence of the two leagues, the Paralympics just hit their 60th anniversary of holding. The development of the Paralympics began in 1944 when Dr. Ludwig Guttman opened an injuries center at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. The spark of potential Dr. Ludwig saw in sports being incorporated as physical therapy began the growth of sports in the disability community. Starting from minor rehabilitation sports, it quickly grew to become the largest league.

3. Paralympic Sports

Here is the list of the wide range of Paralympic Sports categories for the upcoming weeks: Blind football, Boccia, Goalball, Para Archery, Para Athletics, Para-Badminton, Para Canoe, Para-Cycling Road, Para-Cycling Track, Para-Equestrian, Para Judo, Para Powerlifting, Para-Rowing, Para Swimming, Para Table Tennis, Para Taekwondo, Para Triathlon, Shooting Para Sport, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Tennis. 

Within the 23 listed sports categories listed above, two sports hold a unique space only in the Paralympics – Goalball and Boccia. Goalball was a team sport created exclusively for visually impaired athletes, where a ball containing balls which make sound when in motion is thrown at a goal. Boccia is a target ball that tests both muscle group and accuracy of the athletes with cerebral palsy. 

4. Classification of Athletes

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is used in the Paralympic League to classify athletes into 10 different disability categories: eight physical impairment categories, one visual impairment category, and one intellectual impairment category. 

• 10 eligible impairment types: impaired muscle power, impaired passive range of movement, limb deficiency, leg length difference, short stature, hypertonia, ataxia, athetosis, vision impairment, and intellectual impairment. 

The Paralympic's classification is a sport-specific system as the level of impairment the athlete has may differ in the ability to perform in varying sports. The classification system creates exclusive requirements for athletes to be eligible in certain leagues, resulting in some athletes to qualify for one sport while being disapproved of another. 

Within the 10 classified categories, athletes are split into different levels called the Sport Class again. The Sport Class ensures athletes with similar levels can compete against one another without unfair incidents happening in the league. The classified grouping system includes evaluating the age, gender, or weight of the athlete and measuring their capabilities and weaknesses. 

5. The Paralympic Game Venues

This year, the Paralympic Games will be hosted across 18 different venues in Paris: 

Stade de France: Para-athletics, Roland-Garros Stadium: Wheelchair tennis, Chateau de Versailles: Para equestrian, Paris La Defense Arena: Para swimming, Eiffel Tower Stadium: Blind football, Invalides: Para archery, Pont Alexandre III: Para triathlon, Grand Palais: Wheelchair fencing, para taekwondo, Champ de Mars Arena: Para judo, wheelchair rugby, Porte de la Chapelle Arena: Para badminton, para powerlifting, South Paris Arena: Boccia, para table tennis, goalball, Chateauroux Shooting Centre: Shooting, North Paris Arena: Sitting volleyball, Bercy Arena: Wheelchair basketball, Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines Velodrome: Para-cycling – track, Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium: Para canoe, para-rowing, Clichy-Sous-Bois: Para-cycling – road, Saint-Denis to Esplanades des Invalides: Paralympic marathon route. 

6. The Future of the Paralympics 

Within the past few decades, the Paralympics League has successfully created a challenging yet fulfilling environments for both athletes and audiences to watch. Regardless of their disabilities and limitations, the support of all acts as a catalyst for the future of the Paralympics. 

The management of the Paralympic Games involves a coordinated effort between various key organizations to ensure a seamless and inclusive event. At the heart of this process are sponsors from all global corporations and Paralympic committees who support all Paralympic leagues. With the assistance and backing of every athlete, sponsor, and audience watching the game, the Paralympics is predicted to have another successful round of sports leagues this upcoming week. The collaborative approach ensures that the Paralympic Games are not only well-organized but also fully accessible to all participants.

For those who need something to do over the Labor Day weekend, check out the athletes who are competing and cheer on Team USA! Viewers who would like to watch the Paralympic games in Paris can follow the action via the Paralympic YouTube Channel, the International Paralympic Committee website, NBC, or by streaming the games on peacock.

Stuart Grout, BT Paralympic World Cup 2009 Athletics: T54 - 800 Metres, https://www.flickr.com/photos/pigpilot/3561940665/in/photostream/