Another global athletic showcase is officially underway from the City of Light this week as the Paralympic opening ceremony kicked off on Wednesday afternoon.
The 12-day tournament starring athletes with a range of disabilities features 169 competing nations and 22 different sporting events scattered around the French capital.
Paris will have a second chance at nailing the opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games on Thursday, with the city's Olympic procession marred by rain and harshly condemned for controversial depictions of French history. Organizers have promised unprecedented performances at the Place de la Concorde, Paris' largest public square, for the ceremony, with noted accessibility accommodations added to the historic plaza.
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From there, the Paralympics begin with a bang on Thursday, with nearly every sporting event beginning play during the loaded slate. Here's everything you need to know to follow the action.
How many sports will feature in the Paralympics?
22 different sports will be played across the 12-day event, with a majority of sports adapted from the Olympic Games — only goalball and boccia are without an equivalent.
And while the Olympic Games often spread across the entirety of France, including a far-flung surfing competition in Tahiti, only one Paralympic event takes place outside of the Paris metropolitan area — shooting will take place at the National Centre in Châteauroux.
All sports at Paralympics 2024 - Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boccia, Cycling, Equestrian, Football (5-a-side), Goalball, Judo, Paracanoe, Paratriathlon, Powerlifting, Rowing, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table tennis, Taekwondo, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Tennis.
How many nations are competing?
184 delegations are taking part in this year's Paralympic Games, including the Neutral Paralympic Athletes, accepted participants from the barred nations of Russia and Belarus, and the Refugee Paralympic Team.
The Team USA Paralympic squad has the all-time lead in both golds and overall medal court, but it was China that dominated the 2021 edition, securing more than double the number of golds as second-place Great Britain.
How to watch the Paralympics?
The Paralympic opening ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. ET on August 28, broadcast on the USA Network. However, for American audiences unable to catch the unprecedented proceedings, NBC will re-air the ceremony in primetime on August 30 at 9 p.m. ET.
Coverage of the events themselves is provided by the NBC Universal network (NBC, Peacock, USA Network and CNBC), with Peacock streaming more than 1,500 hours of live event coverage across the 12-day competition. The wildly popular "Gold Zone" program on the streaming service will also return for the Paralympics, going live between August 29 and September 7 from 11 a.m ET to 4 p.m. ET.
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