2024 Summer Paralympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
XVII Paralympic Games

Host city	Paris, France
Motto	Games Wide Open (French: Ouvrons Grand les Jeux)
Nations	169 (including the NPA and RPT teams)
Athletes	4,463
Events	549 in 22 sports
Opening	28 August 2024
Closing	8 September 2024
Opened by	President Emmanuel Macron
Cauldron	Alexis Hanquinquant Nantenin Keïta Charles-Antoine Kouakou Fabien Lamirault Élodie Lorandi
Stadium	Place de la Concorde (opening ceremony) Stade de France (closing ceremony)
Summer
← Tokyo 2020 Los Angeles 2028 →
Winter
← Beijing 2022 Milano Cortina 2026 →

The 2024 Summer Paralympics (French: Jeux paralympiques d'été de 2024), also known as the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and branded as Paris 2024, is the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, an international multi-sport parasports event governed by the International Paralympic Committee, being held in Paris, France, from 28 August to 8 September 2024. These games mark the first time Paris is hosting the Summer Paralympics and the second time that France is hosting the Paralympic Games, as Tignes and Albertville jointly hosted the 1992 Winter Paralympics.

Bidding process

As part of a formal agreement between the International Paralympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee first established in 2001, the winner of the bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics must also host the 2024 Summer Paralympics.

Due to concerns over a number of cities withdrawing in the bid process of the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2024 Summer Olympics, a process to award the 2024 and 2028 Games simultaneously to the final two cities in the running to host the 2024 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles and Paris – was approved at an Extraordinary IOC Session on 11 July 2017 in Lausanne. Paris was understood to be the preferred host for the 2024 Games. On 31 July 2017, the IOC announced Los Angeles as the sole candidate for the 2028 Games, opening Paris up to be confirmed as hosts for the 2024 Games. Both decisions were ratified at the 131st IOC Session on 13 September 2017.

In February 2018, it was reported that the IOC and organizing committee had discussed moving the Olympics and Paralympics ahead by one week from their original scheduling, so that the Paralympics would fall within the school holiday period.

Development and preparations

Venues

All the Paralympic events will be held in and around Paris, including the suburbs of Saint-Denis and Versailles, and Vaires-sur-Marne which is just outside the city environs.

Grand Paris zone

Paris Centre zone

Versailles zone

Outlying venues

Non-competitive venues

Medals

The designs of the medals for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were unveiled on 8 February 2024; as with the Olympic medals, the front of the Paralympic medals features an embedded original piece of scrap iron from the Eiffel Tower in the shape of a hexagon, engraved with the Paris 2024 emblem. The obverse contains a design of the Eiffel Tower viewed from below, inscriptions in braille (a writing system whose development has been credited to French educator and inventor Louis Braille), and line patterns that can be used to identify the medals by touch.

Volunteers

In March 2023, applications to be volunteers at the Olympic and Paralympic Games were released. By May 2023, 300,000 applications had been received. Applicants were made aware of the status of their application in late 2023, of which 45,000 were expected to be assigned a volunteering position.

Transportation

Accessibility in the transportation network for people with disabilities has been a concern; accessibility of the Paris Métro system is limited, with only one of its 16 lines being fully wheelchair-accessible—a shortcoming that has faced criticism from disability advocates and IPC president Andrew Parsons. Ahead of the Olympics and Paralympics, Paris invested €1.5 billion towards improving the accessibility of local businesses and other forms of transport, including €125 million to upgrade its bus fleet to accommodate passengers with wheelchairs, and subsidizing the purchase of wheelchair-accessible taxicabs.

Tickets

On the day of the opening ceremony, 2 million of the 2.8 million tickets available for the games were sold. Several sports reported record attendance.

Torch relay

The torch relay began with the lighting of the Paralympic Heritage flame in Stoke Mandeville, United Kingdom, on 24 August. The next day, the torch arrived in France via the Channel Tunnel, thus beginning the torch relay. The torch was split into 12 parts and visited 12 different cities across France. The relay ended with the lighting of the Paralympic cauldron on 28 August.

The Games

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held on 28 August 2024 at the Place de la Concorde, the first Paralympic opening ceremony to take place outside of a stadium. Directed by Thomas Jolly and with choreography by Alexander Ekman, the ceremony was themed around the human body and "history and its paradoxes". The Parade of Nations took place on the Champs-Élysées starting at the Arc de Triomphe (where the Paralympic Agitos were erected), and ending at Place de la Concorde. The final leg culminated with multiple torchbearers coming together, who then lit the Paralympic cauldron, a ring of 40 computerised LEDs and 200 high-pressure water aerosol spray dispensers which was topped by a 30-metre-tall helium sphere resembling a hot air balloon, rising in the air, reminiscent of the Montgolfier brothers' experiments leading to the first hot air balloon flight in 1783. Performers included French singer Christine and the Queens. Dignitaries who attended the ceremony included British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, IOC President Thomas Bach, IPC President Andrew Parsons, and French President Emmanuel Macron, who opened the games.

Sports

The programme for the 2024 Summer Paralympics was announced in January 2019, with no changes to the 22 sports from the 2020 Summer Paralympics. The first draft of the event schedule was released on 8 July 2022, with 549 events in 22 sports. A record 235 medal events will be women's events, an increase of eight over 2020; factoring these events and mixed-gender events, the number of female participants in the Paralympics is projected to be at least double of that of Sydney 2000.

The IPC considered bids for golf, karate, para dance sport, and powerchair football to be added to the Paralympic programme as new sports. Bids were also made for CP football (football 7-a-side) and sailing—the two sports that had been dropped for 2020—to be reinstated. While CP football was selected for consideration by the IPC, it was rejected due to a lack of reach in women's participation.

In January 2021, the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) was declared non-competent by the IPC for violations of its Athlete Classification Code, and the sport was dropped from the Paris 2024 programme. On 22 September 2021, the IPC conditionally reinstated wheelchair basketball following reforms made by the IWBF, subject to compliance measures.

Source:

Calendar

The International Paralympic Committee has approved the final schedule, and dates for the upcoming Summer Paralympics games were released on 2 February 2023.

All times and dates use Central European Summer Time (UTC+2)

OC

Opening ceremony

●

Event competitions

1

Gold medal events

CC

Closing ceremony

August/September 2024		August				September								Events
		28th Wed	29th Thu	30th Fri	31st Sat	1st Sun	2nd Mon	3rd Tue	4th Wed	5th Thu	6th Fri	7th Sat	8th Sun
Ceremonies		OC											CC	—
Boccia			●	●	●	2	6	●	●	3				11
Football 5-a-side						●	●	●		●		1		1
Goalball			●	●	●	●	●	●	●	2				2
Para archery			●	●	2	2	2	1	1	1				9
Para athletics				14	18	19	13	24	15	19	16	22	4	164
Para badminton			●	●	●	2	14							16
Para canoe											●	5	5	10
Para cycling	Road								19	6	4	5		34
	Track		4	5	4	4								17
Para equestrian								3	2		1	5		11
Para judo										5	5	6		16
Para powerlifting									4	4	4	4	4	20
Para rowing				●	●	5								5
Para swimming			15	14	15	14	13	15	12	13	15	15		141
Para table tennis			●	2	5	3	●	1	3	5	5	7		31
Para taekwondo			3	4	3									10
Para triathlon						7	4							11
Shooting para sport				3	2	2	1	2	2	1				13
Sitting volleyball			●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	1	1		2
Wheelchair basketball			●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	●	1	1	2
Wheelchair fencing								4	4	2	4	2		16
Wheelchair rugby			●	●	●	●	1							1
Wheelchair tennis				●	●	●	●	●	1	2	2	1		6
Daily medal events		0	22	42	49	60	54	50	63	63	57	75	14	549
Cumulative total		0	22	64	113	173	227	277	340	403	460	535	549
August/September 2024		August				September								Events
		28th Wed	29th Thu	30th Fri	31st Sat	1st Sun	2nd Mon	3rd Tue	4th Wed	5th Thu	6th Fri	7th Sat	8th Sun

Medal summary

2024 Summer Paralympics medal table

Participating National Paralympic Committees

The following is a list of National Paralympic Committees who have at least one athlete who has qualified for the 2024 Paralympics. Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo are expected to make their Paralympic debuts at these games.

NPCs returning to the Paralympics after an absence in some editions include Bangladesh (2008). Solomon Islands and Vanuatu (2012). East Timor, Macau, Myanmar, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, and Turkmenistan (2016).

Number of athletes by National Paralympic Committee

As of 27 August  2024 (2024 -08-27)^[update]

Ranking	NPC	Athletes
1	China	284
2	Brazil	256
3	France	239
4	United States	220
5	Great Britain	201
6	Japan	177
7	Australia	159
8	Germany	143
9	Italy	141
10	Ukraine	140
11	Spain	139
12	Canada	125
13	Neutral Paralympic Athletes	98
14	Turkey	93
15	India	84
15	Netherlands	84
15	Poland	84
18	South Korea	83
19	Thailand	78
20	Colombia	74
21	Argentina	68
22	Mexico	67
23	Iran	65
23	Uzbekistan	65
25	Egypt	54
26	Kazakhstan	44
27	Hungary	39
28	Morocco	38
29	Greece	37
30	Indonesia	35
31	Czech Republic	32
31	Denmark	32
31	South Africa	32
34	Tunisia	30
35	Belgium	29
35	Ireland	29
37	Chile	28
37	Malaysia	28
39	Israel	27
39	Portugal	27
39	Switzerland	27
42	Algeria	26
42	Slovakia	26
44	New Zealand	25
44	Venezuela	25
46	Austria	24
47	Hong Kong	23
47	Nigeria	23
47	Serbia	23
50	Croatia	22
51	Cuba	21
52	Iraq	20
52	Sweden	20
54	Azerbaijan	18
54	Norway	18
56	Finland	16
57	Bosnia and Herzegovina	14
57	Ecuador	14
57	Georgia	14
57	Slovenia	14
61	Kenya	13
61	Peru	13
61	Rwanda	13
61	Chinese Taipei	13
61	United Arab Emirates	13
66	Mongolia	12
67	Dominican Republic	11
68	Singapore	10
69	Lithuania	9
69	Saudi Arabia	9
71	Costa Rica	8
71	Jordan	8
71	Latvia	8
71	Refugee Paralympic Team	8
71	Sri Lanka	8
76	Vietnam	7
77	Mauritius	6
77	Philippines	6
77	Romania	6
80	Cameroon	5
80	Estonia	5
80	Iceland	5
80	Moldova	5
80	Namibia	5
85	Ethiopia	4
85	Ghana	4
85	Kyrgyzstan	4
85	Montenegro	4
85	Senegal	4
85	Solomon Islands	4
85	Uganda	4
92	Armenia	3
92	Bulgaria	3
92	Cape Verde	3
92	Cyprus	3
92	El Salvador	3
92	Fiji	3
92	Ivory Coast	3
92	Kuwait	3
92	Libya	3
92	Nepal	3
92	Panama	3
103	Angola	2
103	Bahrain	2
103	Bangladesh	2
103	Benin	2
103	Bermuda	2
103	Botswana	2
103	Burundi	2
103	Central African Republic	2
103	Democratic Republic of the Congo	2
103	Gabon	2
103	The Gambia	2
103	Grenada	2
103	Guatemala	2
103	Guinea	2
103	Guinea-Bissau	2
103	Lesotho	2
103	Liberia	2
103	Luxembourg	2
103	Malawi	2
103	Maldives	2
103	Mali	2
103	Malta	2
103	Oman	2
103	Papua New Guinea	2
103	Puerto Rico	2
103	Qatar	2
103	Republic of the Congo	2
103	Uruguay	2
103	Vanuatu	2
103	Zambia	2
103	Zimbabwe	2
134	Afghanistan	1
134	Aruba	1
134	Barbados	1
134	Bhutan	1
134	Burkina Faso	1
134	Cambodia	1
134	East Timor	1
134	Eritrea	1
134	Haiti	1
134	Honduras	1
134	Jamaica	1
134	Kiribati	1
134	Kosovo	1
134	Laos	1
134	Lebanon	1
134	Macau	1
134	Mozambique	1
134	Myanmar	1
134	Nicaragua	1
134	Niger	1
134	North Macedonia	1
134	Pakistan	1
134	Palestine	1
134	Paraguay	1
134	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	1
134	São Tomé and Príncipe	1
134	Sierra Leone	1
134	Somalia	1
134	Syria	1
134	Tanzania	1
134	Togo	1
134	Tonga	1
134	Trinidad and Tobago	1
134	Turkmenistan	1
134	Virgin Islands	1
134	Yemen	1

Marketing

Emblem and branding

The emblem for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics (a stylized rendition of Marianne) was unveiled on 21 October 2019 at the Grand Rex. For the first time, a Paralympic Games will share the same emblem as their corresponding Olympics, with no difference or variation. Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet stated that the decision was intended to reflect the two events sharing a single "ambition", explaining that "in terms of legacy we believe that in this country we need to strengthen the place of sport in the daily life of the people, and whatever the age, whatever the disability or not, you have a place and a role to play in the success of Paris 2024".

The official posters for these Olympics and Paralympics by Ugo Gattoni (which features a stylized Paris landscape with themed depictions of its landmarks and venues) were also designed as a single piece, split in halves representing each event.

Mascots

The mascots of Paris 2024, The Phryges, were unveiled on 14 November 2022. They are a pair of anthrophomorphic Phrygian caps, which have been regarded as a historical symbol of liberty and freedom in France. The Phryge representing the Paralympics wears a running blade on one of its legs, marking the first time since 1994 that a Paralympic mascot has been depicted with a visible disability.

Broadcasting rights

For the first time, Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) will provide live telecasts for all 22 Paralympic sports—an increase from 19 in Tokyo.

In 175+ countries where broadcast rights have not been sold, the Games will be streamed on YouTube via a partnership with the IPC, including event coverage, highlights and YouTube Shorts content, as well as multi-view support. An exception will be Great Britain and Ireland, as while the games will be also broadcast on YouTube in this region, but they will be broadcast on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel as opposed to the IPC channel.

In conjunction with the Olympic Games, the French national public television broadcaster France Télévisions acquired rights to the 2024 Summer Paralympics, and will made the broadcasts primarily on their main channels France 2 and France 3. On 28 August 2020, Channel 4 renewed its rights to the Paralympics in the United Kingdom through 2024; coverage will be broadcast on Channel 4 television, streaming, and Channel 4 Sport channels on YouTube. Channel 4 notably hired actress Rose Ayling-Ellis as a presenter, with the broadcaster stating that she would be the first deaf person to have ever served as a correspondent on a live sports broadcast.

CBC Sports renewed its Canadian rights to the Paralympics for 2024 and 2026, in partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee. This will notably be the final on-air role for long-time CBC Sports anchor Scott Russell before his retirement from broadcasting; Russell had covered 16 Olympic Games and hosted six during his 40-year career at the network. In the United States, NBC Sports is planning a major expansion of its coverage, which will introduce popular digital features from its 2024 Olympics broadcasts such as the "Gold Zone" broadcast and multi-view on Peacock.

In Brazil, SporTV will be responsible for broadcasting the event in the country via subscription television and YouTube, dedicating coverage on the secondary channel and on the extra channel with accessibility, maintaining the tradition since Athens 2004, while TV Globo should only show bulletins in its programming, in addition to the summary of the opening and closing ceremonies in the early hours of the morning and coverage of the semi-final and final of five-a-side football in case the Brazilian team advances. It is also the first Paralympic Games since Rio 2016 in which there will be no full broadcast on free-to-air television in the country, since the government broadcaster TV Brasil did not acquire the broadcast rights to the event.

See also

In Spanish: Juegos Paralímpicos de París 2024 para niños

• 2024 Summer Olympics
• Other Paralympics celebrated in France:
  • 1992 Winter Paralympics
  • 2030 Winter Paralympics