Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games: News and Facts
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Nov 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 - As many as 4,400 athletes competed in 549 medal events across 22 sports.
- 2 - Paris 2024 marked the first time the city had hosted the Paralympic Games.
- 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 8, 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, the 17th Summer Paralympic Games, known as Paris 2024, were a major international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). They were held in Paris, France, from August 28 to September 8, 2024, the first time Paris had hosted the Paralympics. The International Olympic Committee confirmed Paris as host of the 2024 Games on September 13, 2017, at its session in Lima, Peru.
As many as 4,400 athletes competed in 549 medal events across 22 sports [International Paralympic Committee, n.d.].
Choosing the Sports Program
Before the Games, the IPC ran a review of which sports would be on the program. In 2017, eight international federations whose sports were not yet Paralympic expressed interest: the International Federation of CP Football, the International Federation of Powerchair Football, the International Golf Federation, the International Surfing Association, the World Armwrestling Federation, the World Karate Federation, World Para Dance Sport, and World Sailing. Existing federations also proposed new disciplines: the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation put forward 3x3 wheelchair basketball, World Taekwondo proposed the Poomsae discipline of Para taekwondo, and World Shooting Para Sport proposed Para trap shooting.
"No sport is guaranteed a place at Paris 2024," IPC President Andrew Parsons said as the review began. From 2018, the 22 established Paralympic sports and the new candidates approved by the IPC Governing Board completed detailed applications on governance, rules, costs, anti-doping, worldwide reach, competition programs, and athlete welfare. In the end, Paris 2024 kept the same 22 sports as Tokyo 2020.
Paralympic History
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 8, 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.
Which country won the most medals at Paris 2024?
China topped the medal table at Paris 2024 with 94 gold medals and 220 medals in total, followed by Great Britain and the United States. About 4,400 athletes competed in 22 sports.
References
- International Paralympic Committee. (n.d.). Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team. Last updated: