A Guide to the 2024 Paris Paralympics: Sports, Venues, and Stars to Watch

The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games are set to be just as thrilling as the recent Olympics, with captivating venues, incredible athletes, and exciting sports. Here's what to expect during the 11-day event, which starts on Wednesday and runs through September 8.

The Paralympics Begin

The second chapter of the Paris Games begins with a historic opening ceremony on Wednesday night. For the first time, the Paralympics will kick off with an outdoor celebration on the famous Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Over the next 11 days, around 4,400 athletes with disabilities, permanent injuries, or impairments will compete in 22 sports, aiming for 549 medals. This Paralympics is being hailed as the biggest, most ambitious, and innovative one yet.

Andrew Parsons, head of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), described the event as a major milestone for the Paralympic movement, saying, "There will be a before Paris and after Paris for the Paralympic movement."

The Opening Ceremony

A month after Paris hosted the Olympics' impressive opening ceremony on the River Seine, the city is set to make history again. This time, the opening ceremony will take place on the iconic Champs-Élysées and the nearby Place de la Concorde.

Theatre director Thomas Jolly, who also directed the Olympics' opening ceremony, emphasized the importance of holding the event in the heart of Paris—a city known for its challenging underground transport system for people with disabilities.

IPC chief Parsons described the choice of venue as a gesture from Paris, "giving this gigantic hug to our athletes, embracing the Paralympic movement."

The Paralympic Venues

Following the successful Paris Olympics, the Paralympics will also use many of the same stunning venues, with adaptations made to improve accessibility for those with reduced mobility.

The Grand Palais, which hosted fencing during the Olympics, will now be the site for wheelchair fencing. The iconic Invalides, used for archery, will now host para archery. Roland-Garros, known for tennis, will welcome wheelchair tennis, while the Château de Versailles will host para equestrian events.

At the base of the Eiffel Tower, beach volleyball will give way to blind football, a unique sport where blind or visually impaired players rely on their hearing to maneuver a ball containing rattles. Nearby, para triathletes will dive into the Seine from the Pont Alexandre III—assuming the water quality and currents allow for safe competition.

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