Paralympics 2024: When, who and how to watch the Paris games
Looking for something |A|
to fill the Olympic-sized |B|
void in your heart? |C|
|K| dir="ltr">Yes, were talking about |L| the Paralympics.
The 2024 |M| Paralympic Games kick off |O| with an outdoor opening |P| ceremony on Wednesday and |Q| run until Sept. 8.
|R| dir="ltr">Organizers are already touting |S| it as one for |U| the record books, with |V| an all-time high number |Y| of delegations, female athletes |Z| participating and global broadcasters |A| covering it.
Its the |B| first summer Paralympic Games |C| to take place in |D| France, and the first |E| time since COVID-19 that |F| spectators are allowed to |G| fill the stands.
There |H| will be plenty of |J| storylines and athletes to |K| watch as the 12 |L| days unfold, from redemption |M| missions to rivalries to |O| power couples.
Among the |P| stories were eyeing: China, |Q| which has dominated the |R| last five Paralympics, is |S| looking to continue its |U| winning streak. An Italian |V| sprinter is set to |Y| become the first transgender |Z| woman to compete at |A| a Paralympics. And several |B| highly decorated members of |C| Team USA — including |D| some multi-season athletes — |E| are looking to break |F| new records.
Heres what |G| to know and how |H| to follow along.
Whats |J| the difference between the |K| Olympics and Paralympics?
The |L| Olympics and Paralympics are |M| both multi-sport events and |O| have been held in |P| the same city and |Q| year since the 1988 |R| Summer Games in Seoul |S| and the 1992 Winter |U| Games in France.
The |V| competitions are truly held |Y| in tandem: The word |Z| “Paralympic” includes the Greek |A| preposition “para,” meaning “beside.”
|B| dir="ltr">But there are some |C| differences between the two, |D| which have their own |E| governing bodies.
The modern |F| Olympics started in the |G| late 19th century, while |H| the Paralympics grew out |J| of a British hospital |K| for World War II |L| veterans in 1948.
Olympic |M| athletes tend to be |O| able-bodied, while the Paralympics |P| feature athletes with disabilities.
|Q| dir="ltr">There are 10 eligible |R| impairment types: eight physical |S| (including limb deficiency and |U| impaired muscle power), as |V| well as vision and |Y| intellectual impairment. Athletes are |Z| grouped into categories based |A| on the “degree of |B| activity limitation resulting from |C| their impairments.”
The Special |D| Olympics, by the way, |E| is a separate thing |F| altogether.
What sports are |G| part of the Paralympics?
|H| dir="ltr">Para athletes will compete |J| in 549 medal events |K| across 22 sports, both |L| individual and team.
Notably, |M| two Paralympic sports do |O| not have an Olympic |P| equivalent: goalball and boccia.
|Q| dir="ltr">The rest of the |R| list includes sitting volleyball; |S| wheelchair rugby, tennis, basketball |U| and fencing; rowing; equestrian; |V| swimming; para triathlon and |Y| more.
In some sports |Z| — including para athletics, |A| para triathlon and para |B| cycling — visually impaired |C| athletes compete alongside a |D| sighted “guide” or “pilot” |E| (some of whom are |F| Olympians themselves). Since 2012, |G| the guides have been |H| awarded medals, too.
Paris |J| organizers say the sports |K| with the most competitors |L| are para athletics (1,135 |M| athletes), para swimming (608) |O| and para table tennis |P| (281).
How many nations |Q| and athletes are participating?
|R| dir="ltr">The International Paralympic Committee |S| says a record number |U| of delegations are competing |V| in the Games this |Y| year (they said the |Z| same of the Tokyo |A| Games in 2021, too).
|B| dir="ltr">While the final headcount |C| hasnt been confirmed, organizers |D| say Paris will welcome |E| roughly 4,400 athletes from |F| 168 delegations.
That number |G| includes the National Paralympic |H| Committees of 167 countries, |J| an eight-member Refugee Paralympic |K| Team and as many |L| as 96 neutral athletes |M| — 88 from Russia |O| and eight from Belarus. |P| Athletes from those two |Q| countries are not allowed |R| to compete under their |S| flag following Russias 2022 |U| full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
|V| dir="ltr">Plus, three delegations will |Y| be represented at the |Z| Paralympics for the first |A| time: Eritrea, Kiribati and |B| Kosovo.
Organizers say the |C| largest delegations are China |D| (282 athletes), Brazil (255) |E| and France (237).
They |F| also say this year |G| will feature a record |H| 1,983 female competitors and |J| more medal events — |K| 235 — for women |L| than ever before. The |M| Paris Olympics have been |O| hailed as “gender equal,” |P| though many say theres |Q| still room for improvement.
|R| dir="ltr">What are some Team |S| USA names to know?
|U| dir="ltr">The U.S. is sending |V| 225 athletes — including |Y| five guides — to |Z| Paris, with an equal |A| number of men and |B| women.
The para athletes |C| on Team USA come |D| from 38 states (California, |E| Illinois and Texas are |F| heavily represented) and range |G| in age from 15 |H| to 52.
Wheelchair basketball |J| legend Steve Serio and |K| sitting volleyball star Nicky |L| Nieves have been chosen |M| as the teams flag |O| bearers for the opening |P| ceremony. Here are some |Q| other names to watch:
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Multi-season athletes Oksana |S| Masters (para cycling and |U| para Nordic skiing), Aaron |V| Pike (para track and |Y| field and para Nordic |Z| skiing) and Kendall Gretsch |A| (para triathlon and para |B| Nordic skiing) are relatively |C| fresh off the 2022 |D| Beijing Winter Games, where |E| Masters became the most |F| decorated U.S. winter Paralympian |G| of all time.
|H| dir="ltr">Swimmer Jessica Long is the second-most |J| decorated U.S. Paralympian in |K| history, with 29 Paralympic |L| medals under her belt |M| (including 16 gold). Shes |O| looking to continue her |P| streak in Paris, her |Q| sixth Games.
Track |R| and field stars Tatyana McFadden, |S| Roderick Townsend, and Brittni Mason are |U| aiming to get back |V| on the medal podium, |Y| which they did in |Z| Tokyo.
Chuck Aoki has |A| helped carry the mens |B| wheelchair rugby team for |C| nearly a decade. They |D| are favored to pick |E| up another medal this |F| year, which would be |G| their fourth since 2012.
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Sarah Adam is |J| poised to become the |K| first woman to represent |L| Team USA in wheelchair |M| rugby at a Paralympic |O| Games
Swimmer Abbas |P| Karimi, who was born |Q| in Afghanistan, will compete |R| in his first Paralympic |S| Games as a U.S. |U| citizen. He competed on |V| the refugee team in |Y| Tokyo 2020.
The |Z| world record that sprinter Nick |A| Mayhugh set in Tokyo still |B| stands heading into Paris, |C| where he is aiming |D| for another gold. He |E| will also compete in |F| long jump.
Track |G| and field athlete Hunter |H| Woodhall went viral at |J| the Olympics for supporting |K| his wife, gold-medal-winning long |L| jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall. Woodhall, |M| who runs on two |O| prosthetics, will get his |P| own turns in the |Q| spotlight when he competes |R| in the 100-meter race |S| and the 400-meter race. |U| (Psst: The Woodhalls arent |V| the only Paralympic power |Y| couple this year.)
How |Z| (and when) do I |A| watch?
The Paralympics opening |B| ceremony will run from |C| 2 p.m. to 5:30 |D| p.m. ET on Wednesday, |E| and will air live |F| on USA Network and |G| stream on Peacock and |H| NBC Olympics platforms, according |J| to NBC. NBC will |K| also air an encore |L| presentation from 9 p.m. |M| to 11 p.m. ET |O| on Friday.
Like the |P| Olympic opening ceremony, this |Q| will be the first |R| Paralympic opening ceremony held |S| outside of a stadium. |U| The ceremony is directed |V| by Thomas Jolly — |Y| who oversaw last months |Z| events — and will |A| parade down the river |B| Seine from the Champs-Elysees |C| to the Place de |D| la Concorde.
The Paralympics |E| traditionally get less coverage |F| and viewership than the |G| Olympics, but organizers are |H| working to change that. |J| They say a record |K| number of broadcasters are |L| set to cover these |M| Games, with media rights |O| holders in more than |P| 160 countries and territories.
|Q| dir="ltr">Paris also marks the |R| first Paralympic Games to |S| offer at least some |U| live coverage from each |V| of the 22 sports. |Y| For those curious: swimming, |Z| cycling and mens wheelchair |A| basketball start Thursday, while |B| track and field starts |C| Friday. You can view |D| the full competition schedule |E| here.
NBC says it |F| will stream some 1,500 |G| hours of live coverage |H| — the most ever |J| for a Paralympics — |K| on Peacock throughout the |L| course of the nearly |M| two weeks (remember, Paris |O| is six hours ahead |P| of E.T.). Authenticated users |Q| can also watch via |R| NBCParalympics.com, NBC.com, the NBC |S| Sports App and the |U| NBC App.
Starting Thursday, |V| it will also feature |Y| at least nine hours |Z| of programming a day |A| — focused on the |B| “most popular” events — |C| on the USA Network |D| in the mornings and |E| afternoons.
NBC is also |F| planning three separate prime-time |G| windows. On Friday, it |H| will show highlights from |J| the opening ceremony and |K| recap the first two |L| days of competition. On |M| Sunday at 7 p.m. |O| ET it will recap |P| the subsequent two days. |Q| Its final broadcast, slated |R| for 9 p.m. ET |S| on Friday, Sept. 6, |U| will recap the entire |V| second week.
The closing |Y| ceremony will take place |Z| two days later on |A| Sunday, Sept. 8, at |B| 2 p.m. ET.
Before |C| long, itll be time |D| for the 2026 Winter |E| Games in Milan — |F| but worry not, there |G| are still plenty of |H| compelling competitions to tide |J| you over until then.
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