From Simone Biles to Katie Ledecky , the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics featured awe-inspiring athletic feats by many of the world's top competitors.
Now, the Paralympics take center stage, showcasing the talents of disabled athletes from around the world.
One fact about the Paralympics is that the prefix "para" means "next to" or "alongside" in Greek. Gain more nuggets of knowledge in our comprehensive guide to the 2024 Summer Paralympic Games.
When are the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
The 2024 Paris Paralympics will take place Aug. 28-Sept. 8.
Where are the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
Like the 2024 Summer Olympics, the 2024 Summer Paralympics will be held in Paris. It will mark the first time the city has hosted the Paralympics and the second time the Paralympics will be in France. Tignes and Albertville jointly hosted the Winter Paralympics in 1992. The Olympic and Paralympic Games have been held in the same city and at the same venue since 1988.
When is the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. ET on Aug. 28 at the Place de la Concorde in Paris.
How can fans watch the 2024 Summer Paralympics opening ceremony?
Coverage of the opening ceremony will be available on both USA Network and Peacock.
Who will host the opening ceremony for 2024 Summer Paralympics?
Ahmed Fareed of NBC Sports and 13-time Paralympic medalist Chris Waddell will anchor the broadcast, which will begin with a pre-show at 1 p.m. ET.
Who will be the 2024 Paralympic flag-bearers for the United States?
Steve Serio (wheelchair basketball) and Nicky Nieves (sitting volleyball) have been chosen as the U.S. flag-bearers for the Paralympic opening ceremony.
When is the closing ceremony for the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. ET on Sept. 8 at the Stade de France in Paris.
How can fans watch the closing ceremony for the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
Live coverage of the closing ceremony will be available on CNBC and Peacock.
How many athletes will compete in the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
The 2024 Paralympics will feature more than 4,400 athletes competing in 22 sports for 549 medal events, according to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
How can fans watch the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
Paralympic events will air on NBC, USA Network and CNBC and stream live on Peacock.
What is the theme song of the 2024 Summer Paralympics?
The official theme song of the 2024 Paris Paralympics is "Parade," composed by Victor Le Manse and recorded with the Orchestre National de France (same as the 2024 Paris Olympics).
What is the mascot of the 2024 Paralympics?
The mascot for the 2024 Paris Paralympics is the Paralympic Phryge. The mascot, draped in blue, white and red (the colors of France's flag), is based on the shape and form of the traditional Phrygian red cloth cap. The cap has been a symbol of freedom for France throughout the country's history.
What is the origin of the Paralympics?
At a military hospital north of London in 1948, neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttmann organized a series of sports competitions held at the same time as the London Summer Olympics (to expedite the recovery of his paraplegic patients). All of the patients were World War II veterans.
When were the first Paralympics?
The first official Paralympics were held in 1960 and known as the Stoke Mandeville Games (after the hospital of the same name). The Paralympics were originally reserved for wheelchair-bound athletes. The program was expanded in 1976 to include competitors with other disabilities (amputations, visual impairments, etc.).
What sports are held at the Summer Paralympics?
The Summer Paralympics feature such sports as:
- Para archery (athletes without arms can shoot with their feet)
- Para cycling (includes tandem bikes with "pilot" riders for visually impaired riders)
- Para powerlifting (performed on a bench press)
- Para canoeing
- Para table tennis
- Para athletics
- Para swimming
- Wheelchair fencing
- Wheelchair rugby
- Wheelchair basketball
- Wheelchair marathon
- Wheelchair tennis
- Blind soccer (soccer balls are filled with bells)
- Sitting volleyball
- Para triathlon race (comprised of 750m of open water swimming, 20 km of cycling and 5 km of running)
Two sports, boccia and goalball, are exclusive to the Paralympics.
What is boccia?
Introduced at the 1984 New York Paralympics, boccia is a sport played on a flat, smooth surface, where players throw or roll colored balls as close as possible to a white target ball, known as the "jack." The player, pair or team with the most balls near the jack is the winner. Boccia was originally designed to be played by people with cerebral palsy.
What is goalball?
Invented in 1946 to help rehabilitate World War II veterans who lost their sight, goalball features legally blind competitors who throw a ball past their opponents and into their net to score points. Players stay on their hands and knees to defend their net and score against their opponents. Goalball made its Paralympic debut in Toronto in 1976, with the women's event being added in New York in 1984.
What is the symbol of the Paralympics?
While the Olympics have the iconic interlocking rings (representing the unity of the five inhabited continents (Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania), the Paralympics are represented by three waves called "Agitos," (which means "I move" in Latin).
What is the motto of the Paralympics?
The Paralympics' motto is "Spirit in Motion," representing the strong will of every Paralympian.
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