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