Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games: News and Facts
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Aug 2026
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - About This Section - FAQs - Publications - Subtopics
Synopsis
Discover the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics in France, the 17th Paralympic Games, including dates, the sports program, host history, and event information.
At a Glance
- 1 - Paris 2024 marked the first time the city has hosted the Paralympic Games.
- 2 - The host decision was made by the IOC on September 13, 2017, at its conference in Lima, Peru.
- 3 - Eight new sports and three new disciplines applied for inclusion during the sports program review.
- 4 - The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960, with 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in eight sports.
Topic Definition
- Summer Paralympic Games
The Summer Paralympic Games are a leading international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, governed by the International Paralympic Committee and held every four years, usually in the same city and shortly after the Summer Olympic Games. Competitors take part across a wide range of sports, grouped through classification systems that keep contests fair by accounting for the effects of different impairments. The Paris 2024 edition, staged in Paris, France, from August 28 to September 9, 2024, was the seventeenth Summer Paralympics and the first time the French capital had hosted the event. Each edition builds on a tradition that began in Rome in 1960, and the program of sports is reviewed ahead of every games so federations can apply for new sports and disciplines to join the lineup.
Overview
The 2024 Summer Paralympics also known as the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, or Paris 2024, are an upcoming major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IOC). This major event will be held in Paris, France, and will take place from 28th August to 9th September 2024. This is the first time Paris has hosted the Paralympics in the games' history. The final games' venue decision was made by the IOC on 13th September 2017, at their annual conference in Lima, Peru.
11 New Sports and Disciplines Apply for Paris 2024:
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has confirmed that eight new sports and three sport disciplines have expressed an interest in applying for inclusion in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport program.
As part of a 14-month exercise by the IPC to determine the final sports program for Paris 2024, recognized international federations of summer sports not yet on the Paralympic program had until 21 November to notify the IPC whether they wanted to be considered for inclusion.
Eight international federations - International Federation of CP Football, International Federation of Powerchair Football, International Golf Federation, International Surfing Association, World Arm wrestling Federation, World Karate Federation, World Para Dance Sport and World Sailing - all expressed an interest to be included.
By 21 November, existing international federations with sports and disciplines on the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games sports program were also free to suggest additional sports and disciplines for inclusion in the 2024 Games.
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation has put forward the 3×3 discipline of the sport, World Taekwondo has expressed an interest in including the Poomsae discipline of Para taekwondo and World Shooting Para Sport has proposed the inclusion of Para trap shooting.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:
"We truly believe that the application process to be included in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport program will be the most competitive yet, and this is reflected with the number of sports and disciplines expressing an interest for inclusion."
"No sport is guaranteed a place at Paris 2024 and the IPC will now analyze these applications to determine which sports and disciplines go forward to the next phase. In the second phase of this exercise, the level of competition will increase dramatically as sports already on the Paralympic program will enter the race."
On 27 January 2018, the IPC Governing Board will meet in Bonn, Germany, to decide which new sports and disciplines from those who have expressed an interest are eligible to enter Phase 2 of the application process.
From February 2018, the 22 established Paralympic sports, plus those additional sports and disciplines approved by the Governing Board, will be invited to complete a comprehensive application pack by July 2018. The pack features a series of questions that aims to give the IPC detailed information regarding each sport's governance, rules and regulations, associated costs, anti-doping program compliance and activities, worldwide reach, quadrennial competition program and procedures to ensure athlete welfare.
Following a thorough review of all applications, including full agreement from the IOC and Paris 2024, the IPC Governing Board will announce its final decision on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport program in early 2019.
The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and featured 400 athletes from 23 countries who competed in eight sports - archery, athletics, dartchery, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where were the 2024 Summer Paralympics held
The 2024 Summer Paralympics were held in Paris, France, marking the first time the city has hosted the Paralympic Games.
When did the Paris 2024 Paralympics take place
The games ran from August 28 to September 9, 2024, following the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics in the same host city.
How are new sports added to the Paralympic program
International federations apply for inclusion, and the International Paralympic Committee reviews their governance, rules, costs, reach, and athlete welfare before making a final decision.
When and where were the first Paralympic Games held
The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960, with 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in eight sports.
Who governs the Summer Paralympic Games
The International Paralympic Committee governs the Paralympic Games and works with the local organizing committee and the IOC for each edition.
How do athletes qualify for the Paralympic Games
Athletes qualify through their national bodies by meeting sport-specific standards and completing a classification process that groups them by the impact of their impairment.
Which city hosted the Summer Paralympics before Paris 2024
Tokyo, Japan, hosted the previous Summer Paralympic Games in 2021, before Paris took on the 2024 event.
Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team.
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