Coming Up: The Paralympics

The 2024 Paralympic Games begin on August 28. Here are some athletes to watch.

Paris, which is hosting the Paralympics, also hosted the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Get ready for the 2024 Paralympic Games! This multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities will open on August 28 in Paris, France. Like the Summer Olympics, the Summer Paralympics takes place every four years. (There’s also a Winter Paralympics.) The Paralympics features some of the world’s best athletes. Here are a few you might want to check out in 2024!

Hunter Woodhall, track and field
USA

Woodhall began competing in international track and field events when he was 15 years old. This will be his third time competing at the Paralympics, where he has already won three medals. A double amputee (someone who lost both legs), Woodhall runs on prosthetic blades. He also has a YouTube channel with his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, who won a gold medal in the long jump at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Timotheé Adolphe, track and field
France

Adolphe is a standout in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter dashes for people who are blind or visually impaired. In his events, people compete with a guide runner alongside them. Adolphe has already won several medals at the World Para Athletics Championships and earned the silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the 2020 Paralympic Games. He is also a musician, creating hip-hop that encourages people to power through hardship.

Yip Pin Xiu, swimming
Singapore

A backstroke swimmer who holds two world records, Pin Xiu became Singapore’s first Paralympic gold medalist in 2008. She went on to win five more Paralympic medals—four gold and one silver. Pin Xiu does not have the use of her legs and competes in a category for swimmers with similar disabilities. Pin Xiu is also vice chair of The Purple Parade, an organization that promotes disability awareness in Singapore.

Gustavo Fernandez, wheelchair tennis
Argentina

Currently ranked third in the world, Fernandez has won many wheelchair tennis titles. But while this will be his third Paralympic Games, he has yet to win a Paralympic medal. Fernandez lost mobility at age 18 months due to an issue with his spinal cord. Born into a family of professional basketball players, Fernandez chose to play tennis instead of basketball, going pro at age 12.

Mariska Beijer, wheelchair basketball
The Netherlands

Beijer helped bring fame to the Dutch (Netherlands) team in 2018, when they won their first World Championship. Now, she hopes to defend her country’s 2020 Paralympic gold. Beijer has used a wheelchair since two childhood accidents. She found confidence playing wheelchair basketball and hopes to inspire it in others. She is an ambassador for IT4Kids, which expands opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in sports.

Did You Know?

The Paralympics developed out of a 1948 competition for World War II veterans who had spinal cord injuries. Today, the Paralympics is viewed around the world. It has helped expand opportunities for people with disabilities in many countries.

In 1953, Javelin thrower Margaret Webb competed in an event that would become the Paralympics.

Paralympics Events

Did you catch any of the 2024 Olympic Games earlier this summer? Then you might be wondering how Paralympic sports compare. Here’s a list of Paralympic events. They’ll be available to watch on the Internet and streaming services beginning August 28.

Blind Football

Boccia (a sport in which athletes throw balls to hit a target)

Goalball (a sport, designed for people who are visually impaired, in which athletes roll a ball that has bells on it and try to make goals)

Para Archery

Para Athletics (an event that spans a wide range of track and field events, such as the 100-meter dash and the javelin throw)

Para Badminton

Para Canoe

Para Cycling Road

Para Cycling Track

Para Equestrian (an event in which horseback riders are judged for their riding and their horses are judged for their behavior)

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

Learn More!

The photos above show Summer Paralympic events, including (clockwise from top left) goalball, basketball, the marathon, the 100-meter, and (center) the long jump.

You can learn more about the Paralympic Games at Britannica!

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