Competition is underway at nearly every venue at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, from the purple athletics track of the Stade de France to the red clay courts of the Roland-Garros Stadium and the blue waters of the Paris La Defense Arena. Over 4,400 Para athletes are competing across 11 days of competition.
Highlights for 31 August – 2 September include the Para triathlon competition, where athletes will start and finish at the scenic Pont Alexandre III. All races are scheduled for 1 September.
Elsewhere, the dynamic action of wheelchair rugby will take over the Champ de Mars Arena, with eight mixed teams competing in this full-contact sport. The stunning Eiffel Tower Stadium will host blind football with up to 12,860 spectators cheering on the eight teams vying for the podium. Para athletics and Para swimming each feature some of the biggest stars of the Paralympic Games returning to defend their titles, and new stars hoping for a big stage breakthrough.
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After winning three gold medals at the 2023 Para Athletics World Championships in Paris, Marcel Hug hopes to return to Paris to win his seventh Paralympic gold.
31 August: Preview and athletes to watch
The finals day of Para taekwondo features stacked competition, including the men's K44 +80kg gold medal match. Team USA’s Evan Medell won bronze in the Paralympic sport's debut at Tokyo 2020 despite breaking his foot in the semi-final. The fighter is back and ready to go for gold.
In the pool, Great Britain’s Iona Winnifrith will make her highly-anticipated Paralympic debut. The 13-year-old is already a double European champion, and her time of 1.39:29 in the SB7 100m breaststroke on the opening day of competition in Portugal earlier this year set a British and European record.
Also looking to break records is USA’s 16-time Paralympic gold medallist Jessica Long who is set to compete in the women’s S8 100m backstroke. The five-time Paralympian will also compete in the S8 200m individual medley (1 September), S8 400m freestyle (4 September) and S8 100m butterfly (7 September), as she looks to extend her incredible medal haul in France.
Picture by Toru Hanai/Getty Images
1 September: Preview and athletes to watch
Japan and Colombia get the blind football competition underway at the iconic Eiffel Tower Stadium, while Norway’s Birgit Skarstein is set to defend her women's single sculls PR1W1x Para rowing title after winning gold at Tokyo 2020.
Skarstein is a celebrity in her home country thanks to a successful run in the local version of Dancing With the Stars and her family, friends and fans will be out in force to cheer her on as she competes in what she says will be her final Games.
Two-time men’s PTWC Para triathlon champion from the Netherlands, Jetze Plat, is looking to make it three titles at Paris 2024. Plat competed in the 2023 Para triathlon test event, saying, “It was difficult, but in the end it was a really good test". Expectation is reaching fever pitch for the champion Para triathlete and two-time Para cycling gold medallist who will compete in the main event at the Pont Alexandre III in the French capital.
Three-time Para archery competitor, Team USA’s Matt Stutzman will make his fourth Paralympic appearance at Paris 2024. The double world champion, who is best known as 'The Armless Archer', will be looking to add to his London 2012 silver medal.
Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Sarah Storey will be looking to defend her title on the Para cycling track in the women's C5 individual pursuit. Storey is the most decorated athlete in the history of the Paralympics, with 17 gold medals across eight Games. Paris 2024 will make it nine Paralympic Games for the superstar.
2 September: Preview and athletes to watch
Stade de France will see a full slate of Para athletics action including Team USA’s Hunter Woodhall competing in the first of his two events — the men’s 100m T64 (he will also be competing in the 400m T62 on 6 September).
Woodhall, the husband of Olympic champion long jumper Tara Davis-Woodhall, has sights set on getting his own gold medal after earning silver in the men’s 200m T44 and a bronze in the 400m T44 at Rio 2016.
The day will finish with medals being decided in wheelchair rugby as Great Britain looks to defend their title. The competition will be stiff, with previous Paralympic champions USA and Australia expected to put it all on the line to regain their crowns.
Paralympic Games Paris 2024 schedule
Find the full Paris 2024 Paralympic Games schedule on Olympics.com.
How to watch the Paralympic Games Paris 2024
You can follow the action via the Paralympic YouTube Channel and the International Paralympic Committee website (geo-blocking policies may apply).
For a full list of global broadcasters visit here.
