A Paralympics Preview

With the 2024 Paralympic Games set to begin on August 28, we’re highlighting some athletes that are at the top of their game.

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

The Paralympic Games, a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, will open on August 28 in Paris, France, and continue through September 8. Like the Summer Olympics, the Summer Paralympics takes place every four years and features some of the best athletes from around the world. (There’s also a Winter Paralympics.)

Thousands of people will compete at the 2024 Paralympics. Here are a few you might want to check out!

Hunter Woodhall, track and field
USA

Woodhall began competing in international track and field events when he was 15 years old. A double amputee since early childhood, he competed against nondisabled athletes in high school and college, running on prosthetic blades. Now headed for his third Paralympics, Woodhall has already won three Paralympic medals, competing in the T62 category, which applies to athletes who are double amputees. He also runs 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 in the T11 category. T11 is the classification for athletes with total or near-total visual impairment and requires runners to compete with a guide runner alongside them. Adolphe has won several medals at the World Para Athletics Championships and earned the silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the 2020 Paralympic Games. Adolphe is also a musician, creating hip-hop that motivates listeners to power through adversity, or hardship.

Yip Pin Xiu, swimming
Singapore

A backstroke specialist who holds two world records, Pin Xiu became Singapore’s first Paralympic gold medalist in 2008 and went on to add five more Paralympic medals—four gold and one silver—to her collection. Born with a disorder that causes nerve damage, she does not have the use of her legs and competes in a category for swimmers whose leg coordination has been affected. 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, including victories at Wimbledon and the French Open. 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 has always been passionate about sports but chose to pursue tennis instead of basketball, going pro at age 12.

Mariska Beijer, wheelchair basketball
The Netherlands

A veteran known for her offensive strength, Beijer helped bring the Dutch (Netherlands) team to international prominence in 2018, when they won their first World Championship. Now, Beijer hopes to defend her country’s 2020 Paralympic gold. Beijer has used a wheelchair since childhood accidents led to the amputation of her right foot and damaged her left leg. Having found confidence in wheelchair basketball, Beijer now hopes to inspire it in others. She is an ambassador for IT4Kids, which expands opportunities for children with disabilities to participate in sports.

Fun Fact!

The Paralympics developed out of a 1948 competition that took place in England for World War II veterans who had spinal cord injuries. Now an international event, the Paralympics is viewed around the world—and has been credited with helping to expand accessibility for people with disabilities in many countries.

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

Paralympics Events

If you caught parts of the 2024 Olympic Games earlier this summer, you might be wondering how Paralympic events compare. Here’s a list of what will 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!

WORD OF THE DAY

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