Exploring the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024

Before the start of this year's Olympic Games in Paris, French wheelchair tennis player Kevin Piette proudly carried the Olympic torch using a robotic exoskeleton: history has already been made!

After the Olympics, it's time to turn our attention to the Paralympics. These will take place from August 28 to September 8, 2024, and will bring together 4,400 athletes from around the globe.

What’s on the Paralympic schedule for 2024? Which Swiss athletes will be competing this year? What makes the Refugee Paralympic Team so special? Here's a look ahead at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

What’s on the Paralympic schedule in 2024?

22 disciplines will be presented at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, the same as in Tokyo in 2021. Among the disciplines featured are archery, boccia, blind football, goalball, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby, each of which will offer moments of great excitement.

Paris 2024 mascot playing sitting volleyball. (Source: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024)

Paris, a city symbolic of culture and history, will provide the perfect background for these Paralympic Games. Modern facilities will ensure optimal conditions for the competitions, and the enthusiastic crowds will create a unique atmosphere, as the Olympic Games have shown.

For those in the UK and US, the Games will be broadcast live on major networks such as Channel 4 in the UK and NBC in the US, with streaming options available through their respective platforms. In Switzerland, SRF/RTS/RSI will air the events, while German viewers can follow the action on ARD and ZDF. French viewers can tune in to France Télévisions for extensive coverage, while in Italy, Rai 2 will offer comprehensive coverage.

More information about the paralympic schedule and detailed explanations of the sports are available on the Olympics website. You are interested in how the parasports classification works? Check out this introduction to the classification system in our blog.

The largest Swiss Paralympic delegation since 2008

27 athletes will be part of the Swiss Paralympic Team at Paris 2024. Such a large group has not been seen since 2008 and there are great expectations: 14 medals are expected from the red and white athletes. Nine disciplines out of 22 will be covered by the Swiss athletes: athletics, badminton, cycling, dressage, judo, rowing, shooting, swimming, and wheelchair tennis.

The 27 Swiss athletes in the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. (Source: https://www.swissparalympic.ch)

Most of the Swiss athletes will compete in athletics, followed by cycling, badminton, and swimming. Among the best-known athletes are Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug, who are expected to deliver thrilling performances in athletics.

To learn more about Marcel, read our interview with him on this blog or watch the compelling documentary “GO4GOLD”, which shows his journey to winning four Paralympic gold medals in Tokyo 2021. Will he be able to repeat his success in Paris?

Another key athlete to watch is Manuela Schär, who will be competing in her sixth and final Paralympic Games. Afterwards, she will focus on the big marathon races, where she has already set incredible records by winning all six World Marathon Majors in one season. In Tokyo, she won two gold and three silver medals. Check out this interview with Manuela on our blog, where she talks about her wonderful dog, Lui.

Switzerland marks two sports premiers at this year's Paralympic Games: Claire Ghiringhelli as the nation's first Paralympic para-rower and Carmen Brussig making her debut in judo for Switzerland. To explore the full Swiss lineup and cheer them on, check out the Swiss' athletes schedule.

Eight athletes represent 120 million refugees

Eight athletes will compete in the Refugee Paralympic Team at the Paralympics in Paris 2024. Whether it’s a good sign or not, this year’s Refugee Paralympic Team is the largest ever, representing over 120 million displaced people worldwide. It will be the first team to march during the opening ceremony on August 28, 2024, along the Champs-Elysees and at the Place de la Concorde.

“Perhaps it’s not easy for anyone who has never been a refugee to understand, but being forced to flee your country, being away from your family and the enormous challenges you face in a new country are some of the hardest conditions any human can experience.”

Sayed Amir Hossein Pour, Para table tennis athlete for the Refugee Paralympic Team, who has lived in numerous refugee camps in Germany away from his family

The Refugee Paralympic Team for Paris 2024. (Source: UNHCR / Elif Güleç / Instagram @paralympics)

In the current geopolitical climate, it is important to highlight the incredible stories of these athletes. Take Zakia Khudadadi, for instance. She made headlines in 2021 by escaping from her home country Afghanistan just days before the Paralympics in Tokyo because the Taliban took back control of the country. Now Zakia resides in Paris, where she continues to excel in her sport Para taekwondo.

Then there’s Ibrahim Al Hussein, who lost his leg in an explosion while trying to save a friend in the Syrian civil war. He was the flag bearer for the Refugee Paralympic Team at the Rio 2016 opening ceremony, and he is now competing in his third Games.

“The hardest moments I have faced in my life are my injury and the war in my country. My journey to Paris has been difficult over the past couple of years in trying to get all the necessary equipment to compete in triathlon which can be expensive.”

Ibrahim Al Hussein, Refugee Paralympic Team athlete

Interviews with the athletes are accessible on the International Paralympic Committee website. The athletes answered a series of eleven questions about their story, the challenges they faced on their journey to Paris, and their greatest sporting achievements.

“These athletes have persevered and shown incredible determination to get to Paris 2024 and give every refugee around the world hope.”

Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC)

Promotion video for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

Will you be watching the Paralympic Games from the ground or from home? Which athlete is your favourite? We would love to hear your comments!