Two days before the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, scheduled for August 28 starting at 8 p.m., you may be wondering what this global event has in store for you. Here is everything you need to know about the Paralympic Games in the capital in 5 figures.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will be held in the capital from August 28 to September 8, spanning 11 days of competition.
After a 4-day relay in Great Britain and France, the Paralympic flame will be rekindled in the Paris sky on Wednesday, August 28. The opening ceremony will take place the same day at Place de la Concorde starting at 8 PM.
This day of lighting the cauldron and the opening ceremony will mark the kickoff of the 11 days of competition, in an atmosphere that is both festive and committed.
As Paris hosts the Summer Paralympic Games for the first time, the capital is set to welcome 4,400 athletes representing over 170 countries.
These athletes will be housed in the north of Paris, in the Athletes' Village, at the same location as their Olympic counterparts. The majority of the 237 athletes from the French delegation will reside there.
The village has been refurbished after the Olympics to accommodate the athletes, as well as administrative staff, aides, doctors, and physiotherapists. Up to 9,000 people are expected on-site during the competitions.
However, this 52-hectare site located in Saint-Denis and Saint-Ouen did not require specific redevelopments, as it was designed from the outset to be fully accessible for people with reduced mobility (PRM).
549 events in total will take place over the 11 days of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. This figure represents more than 200 additional events compared to the Olympic Games.
But this is not surprising since para sports are subject to specific classifications, allowing athletes to be grouped into categories based on their disabilities.
During these games, athletes will compete in 22 sports and 23 disciplines:
• wheelchair basketball;
• boccia;
• blind football;
• wheelchair fencing;
• goalball;
• Para athletics;
• Para rowing;
• Para badminton;
• Para canoeing;
• Para road cycling;
• Para track cycling;
• Para equestrian (dressage);
• Para powerlifting;
• Para judo;
• Para swimming;
• Para powerlifting;
• Para taekwondo;
• Para table tennis;
• Para archery;
• Para shooting;
• Para triathlon;
• wheelchair rugby;
• wheelchair tennis;
• sitting volleyball.
55 medals is the number of charms won by the French delegation at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021.
It is also the goal that the French Paralympic team hopes to exceed during these home Games.
Some 4 million spectators, including 10% foreigners, are expected in Paris from August 28 to September 8 to support the athletes.
If you haven't got your ticket for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games yet, know that there are still places to attend events in exceptional venues, such as the Grand Palais for wheelchair fencing, Les Invalides for Para archery, the Eiffel Tower for blind football, and the park of the Château de Versailles for Para equestrian.
If you can't make it in person, note that France 2 and France 3 channels will broadcast the Paralympic competitions live and alternately from 9:30 AM to 11:25 PM. You can also follow all the events on the france.tv platform.
The show "Quels Jeux!" hosted by Léa Salamé and Laurent Luyat will return on France 2 every evening live at 11 PM throughout the duration of the Paralympic Games.
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