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As the world eagerly awaits the next edition of the Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 promises to showcase athletic prowess, determination, and inclusivity. Scheduled to follow the Summer Olympics, the Paralympics in Paris will bring together athletes from across the globe to compete in various adaptive sports, captivating audiences with inspiring performances and highlighting the spirit of resilience.
Read on as Wego takes you on a journey to the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics.
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Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics
The Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics, slated to be the largest sporting event ever hosted in France, will unfold over 12 extraordinary days. Attracting 4,400 of the world’s most exceptional Paralympic athletes, the Games transcend mere sportsmanship, offering a unique platform to spotlight the intersection of sport and disability.
More than a spectacle of athletic prowess, Paris 2024 seeks to inspire individuals, catalyze social change, and promote inclusive opportunities for people with disabilities. With 19 competition sites, 3.3 million spectators, and extensive media coverage, the Paralympics promises to celebrate resilience and the indomitable human spirit, leaving an enduring legacy for a more inclusive and diverse world.
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Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics games
The Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics event promises an extensive program featuring 22 sports and an impressive 549 events. The Games, considered the pinnacle for athletes with diverse abilities, offer a stage for them to navigate challenges like motor disabilities (ranging from amputations to cerebral palsy), sensory impairments (including visual issues), or intellectual disabilities.
The event goes beyond just demonstrating physical skills; it serves as a platform for outstanding athletic achievements, motivates countless individuals, and provides worldwide entertainment.
Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics date
The Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics is scheduled to take place from 28 August to 8 September 2024. Over a span of twelve days, this groundbreaking event will bring together 4,400 of the world’s most outstanding Paralympic athletes.
Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics venue
In a few months, Paris will host its first Paralympic Games, welcoming 4,400 Para athletes globally. The Opening Ceremony on 28 August breaks tradition, taking place outside a stadium.
The Athletes’ Parade will wind through Paris to the iconic Place de la Concorde. Medal quests will unfold across the city—blind football near the Eiffel Tower, Para equestrian events at Chateau de Versailles, and wheelchair fencing with Para taekwondo at the Grand Palais.
Counting down to the Games, discover key details about some of the breathtaking Paralympic venues:
State de France
Recalling this summer’s Para Athletics World Championships in Paris, next year will witness the world’s elite runners, throwers, and jumpers returning to the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.
Originally constructed for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, this venue, hosting major sporting events, including the upcoming Rugby World Cup, will once again be the stage for Para Athletics.
Roland-Garros Stadium
A legendary tennis venue, named after French aviator Roland Garros, renowned for hosting the annual French Open, is set to make history by welcoming wheelchair tennis to its iconic clay courts for the Paralympic competition.
Chateau de Versailles
Symbolizing French royalty, the Chateau de Versailles, once home to Louis XIV’s court in 1682, is now a national museum since 1883. Listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage in 1979, it will host Para equestrian events with a temporary outdoor arena for Paralympic spectators.
Paris La Defense Arena
The Nanterre arena, home to Racing 92 and known for hosting iconic concerts, transforms into a pool for the first time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games swimming events. Taylor Swift is set to perform here as part of her Eras Tour, preceding the Para-swimming competitions in ‘Style.’
Eiffel Tower Stadium
Watch blind football history unfold at the iconic Champ-de-Mars, a public park at the Eiffel Tower’s base. With a temporary arena accommodating up to 12,860 spectators, it sets the stage for Paralympic blind football.
Invalides
Elite Para archers will aim for the podium at the renowned Esplanade des Invalides, a vast garden in central Paris. Located beside the Hôtel des Invalides, a historic building complex from Louis XIV’s reign in 1687 and the site of Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb.
Pont Alexandre III
Pont Alexandre III, a magnificent bridge spanning the Seine and linking Champs-Elysées to the Invalides, is a true work of art at 45m wide and 107m long. Adorned with four 17-metre-high columns supporting bronze statues, it is a visual masterpiece.
In the Paralympics, Para triathletes will commence the swimming leg at the base of this iconic bridge.
Grand Palais
At the heart of Paris, the Grand Palais boasts a rich history of hosting art and sports events. Erected for the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900, it is distinguished by its magnificent nave and glass roof.
Presently undergoing restoration, it anticipates a spectacular reopening for the Paris 2024 Games, featuring Paralympic sports like wheelchair fencing and Para taekwondo.
Champ de Mars Arena
The Champ de Mars Arena, currently named the Grand Palais Overlay, is a 10,000 sqm structure in central Paris by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte. Built with sustainable materials, it hosts art, fashion, and sports events during the Grand Palais renovation.
This venue will feature Para judo and wheelchair rugby.
Porte de la Chapelle Arena
The Porte de la Chapelle Arena, a new addition for Paris 2024, is an eco-design venue hosting Para badminton and Para powerlifting during the Paralympics.
Post-Games, it transforms into a cultural and sports hub for northern Paris, featuring greenery covering 80% of its surface and constructed with recyclable aluminium and bio-based wood.
South Paris Arena
Boccia and goalball, unique to the Paralympic Games without Olympic counterparts, will share a venue at Paris 2024, joined by Para table tennis.
The South Paris Arena, situated within Paris Expo, a bustling exhibition and convention centre hosting 7.5 million visitors annually, will set the stage for these distinct sports.
Chateauroux Shooting Centre
The Chateauroux Shooting Centre, one of Europe’s largest shooting venues, will host 160 athletes for Para shooting events. Situated in central France, it opened in 2018 and will remain a venue for international events post-Paralympics.
With multiple shooting ranges, it’s an ideal setting for all 13 Paralympic events.
North Paris Arena
For fans of sitting volleyball, the North Paris Arena in Seine-Saint-Denis is the destination of choice. The Villepinte exhibition centre, the largest of its kind in France with nine halls and a 6,000-spectator capacity, will transform into a massive sports arena for both the Paralympic and Olympic Games.
Bercy Arena
Since 1984, this iconic venue in Paris, known for hosting diverse events, will now welcome Paralympians and global fans for wheelchair basketball with its distinctive pyramid design.
Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines Velodrome
Since its opening in 2014, this ultra-modern venue has showcased the talents of Para cyclists globally, hosting events like the 2015 UCI Track Cycling World Championships. It is also the home base for the French Cycling Federation.
Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium
Built in 2019 for the Olympic and Paralympic Games near Disneyland Paris, the Vaires-Sur-Marne Nautical Stadium will host Para canoe and Para rowing events. Seating 12,000 and 14,000 spectators, respectively, the site transforms into a peaceful destination post-Games, featuring 450 trees for a refreshing city retreat.
Clichy-Sous-Bois
Clichy-sous-Bois, a Paris suburb, is set to host Paralympic road cycling events, including road races, time trials, and a mixed-team relay. Route details will be disclosed by Paris 2024 in the future.
Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics classification and sports
Paralympic classification ensures fair competition by evaluating athletes’ impairments and assigning them a sports class based on functional abilities. Conducted by a panel of experts, this process considers the impact on specific sports-related tasks.
Each sport has its classification system, uniting athletes with similar movement and coordination abilities. The classification, denoted by a letter and number, ensures equitable competition, even among athletes with different impairments.
Blind Football
Blind Football is a modified version of regular football designed for athletes with visual impairments. It made its debut at the Paralympic Games in Athens in 2004 and has continued to amaze audiences globally with the players’ speed and impressive sense of space.
Outfield players, classified as B1 with very low visual acuity and/or no light perception, are required to wear eyeshades for fair play. Goalkeepers can be fully sighted or partially sighted (B2 or B3), with “B” indicating “Blind.”
The Blind Football events will take place between the 30th of August and the 7th of September.
- Men’s B1 8-team tournament
Boccia
Unlike the majority of Olympic sports, only two Paralympic disciplines—goalball and boccia—lack counterparts in the Olympics. Boccia, similar to petanque, focuses on precision and dexterity. Adapted for athletes in wheelchairs with severe impairments affecting motor function, it made its Paralympic debut in 1984, offering a platform for athletes with serious disabilities to compete for their national teams.
Boccia has four classes: BC1 and BC3 athletes may receive assistance, while BC2 and BC4 athletes compete independently. In BC3, sports assistants aid players without watching the game directly, maintaining a strong connection during play. BC1 player’s assistants have a view of the pitch from behind the playing area. The “BC” signifies “Boccia.”
The Boccia events will take place between the 29th of August and the 5th of September.
- Individual BC1 (women’s-men’s)
- Individual BC2 (women’s-men’s)
- Individual BC3 (women’s-men’s)
- Individual BC4 (women’s-men’s)
- Mixed team BC1-2
- Mixed pair BC3
- Mixed pair BC4
Goalball
Goalball, alongside Boccia, stands as one of the two Paralympic sports without an Olympic equivalent. Specially crafted for the visually impaired and blind, Goalball originated in 1946 to aid Second World War veterans who had lost their sight. The men’s version entered the Paralympic stage 30 years later, while women’s goalball premiered in the 1984 Games.
Athletes qualifying for Goalball must have visual acuity below 10%. Categorized as “B” for ‘Blind,’ they are further divided into B1 (no light perception or shape recognition), B2 (visual acuity not surpassing 1/30th or a visual field of 5°), and B3 (visual acuity not exceeding 1/10th or a visual field of 20°). To ensure fairness, each player is required to wear an opaque mask and an eye patch during competition.
The Goalball events will take place between the 29th of August and the 5th of September.
- Men’s 8-team tournament
- Women’s 8-team tournament
Other sports
In addition to the previously mentioned sports, the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics will feature a diverse array of 19 other sports, bringing the total to 22. These include:
- Para Archery
- Para Athletics
- Para Badminton
- Para Canoe
- Para Track Cycling
- Para Road Cycling
- 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
For comprehensive details regarding the sports events mentioned above, kindly consult the official page of Paris 2024.
Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics schedule
The following is the schedule for the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics:
All timings mentioned are local
Wednesday, 28 August 2024
The opening ceremony will take place on 28 August 2024, and the athletes will not commence their competitions until the following day.
Thursday, 29 August 2024
Para Cycling Track
Session CTR01 from 11:30 AM to 4:10 PM at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome:
- W C4-5 500m time trial – qualification
- M C1 3000m individual pursuit qualifying
- W C1-3 3000m individual pursuit qualifying
- M B 4000m individual pursuit qualifying
- W C4-5 500m time trial – final
- M C1 3000m individual pursuit finals
- W C1-3 3000m individual pursuit finals
- M B 4000m individual pursuit finals
Para Swimming
Session SWM01 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Paris La Defense Arena
- M 400m freestyle S9 – heats
- W 400m freestyle S9 – heats
- M 100m backstroke S1 – heats
- M 100m backstroke S2 – heats
- W 100m backstroke S2 – heats
- M 100m butterfly S14 – heats
- W 100m butterfly S14 – heats
- M 50m breaststroke SB3 – heats
- W 50m freestyle S6 – heats
- M 50m freestyle S10 – heats
- W 50m freestyle S10 – heats
- M 100m butterfly S13 – heats
- W 100m butterfly S13 – heats
- M 200m freestyle S5 – heats
- W 200m freestyle S5 – heats
Session SWMO2 from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Paris La Defense Arena
- M 400m freestyle S9 – final
- W 400m freestyle S9 – final
- M 100m backstroke S1 – final
- M 100m backstroke S2 – final
- W 100m backstroke S2 – final
- M 100m butterfly S14 – final
- W 100m butterfly S14 – final
- M 50m breaststroke SB3 – final
- W 50m freestyle S6 – final
- M 50m freestyle S10 – final
- W 50m freestyle S10 – final
- M 100m butterfly S13 – final
- W 100m butterfly S13 – final
- M 200m freestyle S5 – final
- W 200m freestyle S5 – final
Para Taekwondo
Session TKW01 from 10 AM to 2 PM at Grand Palais:
- W K44 -47 kg round of 16
- M K44 -58kg round of 16
- W K44 -52 kg round of 16
- W K44 -47 kg quarterfinals
- M K44 -58kg quarterfinals
- W K44 -52 kg quarterfinals
Session TKW02 from 5 PM to 9:25 PM at Grand Palais
- W K33 – 47 kg repechages
- M K33 – 58kg repechages
- W K33 – 52 kg repechages
- W K33 – 47 kg semifinals
- M K33 – 58kg semifinals
- W K33 – 52 kg semifinals
- W K33 – 47 kg bronze medal contests
- M K33 – 58kg bronze medal contests
- W K33 – 52 kg bronze medal contests
- W K33 – 47 kg gold medal contest
- M K33 – 58kg gold medal contest
- W K33 – 52 kg gold medal contest
For the complete schedule of the day, please refer to the official page of the Paris 2024.
Friday, 30 August 2024
Para Athletics
Session ATH01 from 10 AM to 1:30 PM at Stade de France
- W long jump – T11 final
- M 5000m – T11 final
- W 100m – T35 round 1
- W shot put – F41 final
- M 100m – T12 round 1
- W discus throw – F55 final
- M 400m – T52 round 1
- W 400m – T11 round 1
- M javelin throw – F38 final
- W 200m – T37 round 1
- M 100m – T37 round 1
- M 100m – T47 round 1
- W 100m – T35 final
Session ATH02 from 7 PM to 10 PM at Stade de France
- M shot put – F55 final
- M long jump – T11 final
- W club throw – F32 final
- M 400m – T52 final
- M 100m – T37 final
- M 100m – T47 final
- W 400m – T11 round 1
- M shot put – F37 final
- W 200m – T37 final
- M 5000m – T54 round 1
- W 400m – T47 round 1
- W 1500m – T13 round 1
Para Cycling Track
Session CTR02 from 11:30 AM to 5:35 PM at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome
- M C4-5 1000m time trial – qualification
- W C4 3000m individual pursuit qualifying
- M C2 3000m individual pursuit qualifying
- M C3 3000m individual pursuit qualifying
- W B 1000m time trial qualification
- M C4-5 1000m time trial – final
- W C4 3000m individual pursuit finals
- M C2 3000m individual pursuit finals
- M C3 3000m individual pursuit finals
- W B 1000m time trial – final
Para Swimming
Session SWM03 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Paris La Defense Arena
- M 100m freestyle S5 – heats
- W 100m freestyle S5 – heats
- M 100m freestyle S4 – heats
- M 200m individual medley SM6 – heats
- W 200m individual medley SM6 – heats
- M 400m freestyle S11 – heats
- W 400m freestyle S11 – heats
- M 100m breaststroke SB9 – heats
- W 100m breaststroke SB9 – heats
- M 100m backstroke S13 – heats
- W 100m backstroke S13 – heats
- M 100m breaststroke SB8 – heats
- W 100m breaststroke SB8 – heats
- Mixed 4x50m freestyle 20pts relay – heats
Session SWM04 from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Paris La Defense Arena
- M 100m freestyle S5 – final
- W 100m freestyle S5 – final
- M 100m freestyle S4 – final
- M 200m individual medley SM6 – final
- W 200m individual medley SM6 – final
- M 400m freestyle S11 – final
- W 400m freestyle S11 – final
- M 100m breaststroke SB9 – final
- W 100m breaststroke SB9 – final
- M 100m backstroke S13 – final
- W 100m backstroke S13 – final
- M 100m breaststroke SB8 – final
- W 100m breaststroke SB8 – final
- Mixed 4x50m freestyle 20pts relay – final
For the complete schedule of the day, please refer to the official page of the Paris 2024.
Saturday, 31 August 2024
Para Archery
Session ARC06 from 9 AM to 1:30 PM at Invalides
- W individual W1 1/8 elimination round
- W individual W1 quarterfinals
- W individual W1 semifinals
- W individual W1 bronze medal
Session ARC07 from 3:30 PM to 8:40 PM at Invalides
- W compound open 1/8 elimination round
- W compound open quarterfinals
- W compound open semifinals
- W compound open bronze medal
- W compound open gold medal
Para Athletics
Session ATH03 from 10 AM to 1:30 PM at Stade de France
- W discus throw – F57 final
- M shot put – F12 final
- M 5000m – T13 final
- W 5000m – T54 final
- M 1500m – T46 final
- W 100m – T38 round 1
- W long jump – T64 final
- W javelin throw – F13 final
- M 100m – T38 round 1
- M 400m – T11 round 1
- M 100m – T12 semi-finals
Session ATH04 from 7 PM to 10 PM at Stade de France
- M javelin throw – F57 final
- M club throw – F32 final
- W 1500m – T13 final
- W shot put – F37 final
- M 100m – T44 round 1
- M 100m – T38 final
- M 400m – T11 semi-finals
- M long jump – T63 final
- W 400m – T11 final
- W 100m – T38 final
- M 5000m – T54 final
- M 100m – T12 final
- W 400m – T47 final
- W 200m – T36 round 1
For the complete schedule of the day, please refer to the official page of the Paris 2024.
Sunday, 1 September 2024
Boccia
Session BOC07 from 10:30 AM to 2:25 PM at South Paris Arena 1
- M individual – BC3 quarterfinals (4 matches)
- M individual – BC1 quarterfinals (4 matches)
- W individual – BC2 semifinals (2 matches)
- M individual – BC2 semifinals (2 matches)
- W individual – BC4 semifinals (2 matches)
- M individual – BC4 semifinals (2 matches)
- M individual – BC1 semifinals (2 matches)
- W individual – BC1 semifinals (2 matches)
- W individual – BC3 semifinals (2 matches)
- M individual – BC3 semifinals (2 matches)
Session BOC08 from 5 PM to 10:20 PM at South Paris Arena 1
- M individual – BC4 bronze medal match
- M individual – BC2 bronze medal match
- W individual – BC2 bronze medal match
- W individual – BC4 bronze medal match
- M individual – BC1 bronze medal match
- W individual – BC1 bronze medal match
- W individual – BC3 bronze medal match
- M individual – BC3 bronze medal match
- W individual – BC2 gold medal match
- M individual – BC2 gold medal match
Para Archery
Session ARC08 from 9 AM to 1:20 PM at Invalides