All about the 2024 Summer Paralympics
The 2024 Summer Paralympics, the world’s largest sporting event for athletes with disabilities, will take place in Paris, France, from August 28 to September 8. With the theme “We The 15”, this Paralympic Games will not only be a place for heroes to overcome their limits but also an opportunity to celebrate diversity and equality in sport. Let’s explore everything from exciting sports and inspiring stories to talented athletes who will participate in this year’s event!
What is the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
The 2024 Summer Paralympic Games (French: Jeux Paralympics d’été de 2024), also known as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and branded Paris 2024, will be the 17th Summer Paralympic Games.
The Paralympics is an international multi-sport event for people with disabilities, organized by the International Paralympic Committee, taking place in Paris, France from 28 August to 8 September 2024. This is the first time that Paris has hosted the Summer Paralympic Games and the second time that France has hosted the Paralympic Games after Tignes and Albertville co-hosted the 1992 Winter Paralympic Games. France will also host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
2024 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games took place on 28 August 2024 at the Place de la Concorde. The event marked the first time that the Paralympic opening ceremony was not held in a stadium.
The ceremony was directed by Thomas Jolly and choreographed by Alexander Ekman, with the theme revolving around the human body and its “history and paradoxes”. The parade of nations took place on the Champs-Élysées, starting at the Arc de Triomphe (where the Paralympic Agitos was erected) and ending at the Place de la Concorde.
The final leg of the ceremony culminated with several torchbearers lighting the Paralympic cauldron, a computerized ring of LED lights, combined with 200 high-pressure water jets and a 30-meter-high helium balloon-like balloon rising into the air. The spectacle was reminiscent of the Montgolfier brothers’ experiments with the first hot-air balloon in 1783.
Performers included singer Christine and the Queens. The ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, IOC President Thomas Bach, IPC President Andrew Parsons, and French President Emmanuel Macron, who opened the games.
Sports at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
The sports program for the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games was announced in January 2019, with no changes to the 22 sports of the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games. The first draft of the event schedule was released on 8 July 2022, with 549 events in 22 sports. Of these, a record 235 medal events will be for women, an increase of eight from 2020. The number of women participating is expected to be double that of Sydney 2000 when mixed-gender events are included.
The IPC has considered adding other sports such as golf, karate, para-dance, and power wheelchair rugby to the Paralympic program. Proposals to reinstate CP rugby and sailing have also been put forward. However, CP rugby has been rejected due to the lack of female participation.
In January 2021, the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) was declared ineligible by the IPC due to breaches of the Athlete Classification Code. As a result, the sport was removed from the Paris 2024 program. However, on 22 September 2021, the IPC reinstated wheelchair basketball after the IWBF made the necessary reforms.
The list of sports at the 2024 Paralympics includes:
- Archery
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Boccia
- Cycling
- Horseback Riding
- 5-a-side Football
- Goalball
- Judo
- Paracanoe
- Paratriathlon
- Weightlifting
- Rowing
- Shooting
- Sitting Volleyball
- Swimming
- Table Tennis
- Taekwondo
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Wheelchair Fencing
- Wheelchair Rugby
- Pants
Conclusion
The 2024 Summer Paralympics promises to be not only a pinnacle sporting event but also an inspiring picture of perseverance, will and the desire to conquer challenges. Talented athletes will continue to write extraordinary stories, demonstrating the limitless strength and potential of human beings. This event will not only contribute to changing the perception of sport for people with disabilities but also be a strong reminder of the value of equality and solidarity in society. Follow Evaworlds now.
