Paris 2024 Paralympics Set Records for Delegations and Women
Author: International Paralympic Committee (IPC)
Published: 23 Aug 2024 - Updated: 4 Nov 2026
Publication Type: Informative
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content
Synopsis
This information reports International Paralympic Committee figures released just before the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which ran from August 28 to September 8, 2024. Key facts include around 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations, including a Refugee Paralympic Team and Neutral Paralympic Athletes from Russia and Belarus, and a record 1,983 female athletes, or 45 percent of the field, competing in 549 medal events across 22 sports. The growth reflects years of IPC investment in Para sport development, particularly for women, and shows how quickly opportunities are expanding in countries new to the Games. It matters because visible, high-level competition shapes how disability and sport are seen worldwide, and the figures are useful to fans, coaches, sports administrators and anyone tracking progress toward gender equality in Paralympic sport.*
At a Glance
- 1 - France competed in all 22 sports for the first time.
- 2 - Para equestrian had 61 female riders and only 17 male riders.
- 3 - Para athletics was the largest sport, with 1,135 athletes in 164 medal events.
- 4 - China brought the largest team, 282 athletes including 158 women, and has topped every medal table since Athens 2004.
Topic Definition
- Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are the leading international multi-sport event for athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments, held shortly after the Olympic Games in the same host city every four years, with separate summer and winter editions. Organized by the International Paralympic Committee, the Games use a classification system that groups athletes by how their impairment affects performance in each sport, so that competition is decided by skill, fitness and strategy. The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960.
Overview
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that a record number of delegations and female athletes will compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. With final numbers still to be fully confirmed due to teams still arriving in the French capital, it looks like the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature around 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations. This number includes 167 National Paralympic Committees (NPCs), an eight-strong Refugee Paralympic Team (RPT), and up to 98 Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA) (90 from Russia and 8 from Belarus). The figure of 168 delegations for Paris 2024 surpasses the previous record of 164 delegations from the London 2012 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. The previous highest number of athletes at a Paralympic Games was 4,393 from Tokyo 2020.
Three NPCs - Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo - will make their Paralympic debut in the French capital.
Competing across 549 medal events in 22 sports the 4,400 athletes were expected to include a record 1,983 females. The new record of 1,983 female athletes (45%), beats the previous best of 1,846 (42%) set at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and is more than double the 988 female athletes that lined up at Sydney 2000.
As well as a record number of female competitors, the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature more medal events for women than ever before. The 235 medal events for women are eight more than Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Andrew Parsons, IPC President, said:
"The IPC is constantly striving to engage with our members to advance the Paralympic Movement, so to achieve both a record number of competing delegations and female athletes for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is fantastic news."
"A lot of credit needs to go to our NPCs and International Federations for their outstanding efforts, in particular the three NPCs who will make their Paralympic debut in the French capital."
"To have 168 delegations at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games represents a 24% growth on the 135 nations that took part at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games, while to be so close to achieving gender parity just 64 years after the first Paralympic Games is rapid progress."
"What's most impressive is that at the same time the number of competing delegations has grown, so has the number of female athletes and quality of sport and competition. I am confident Paris 2024 will be the best Paralympic Games yet in terms of athletic performance and levels of competition across all 22 sports."
"Since 2016, the IPC has invested millions of Euros each year into Para sport development programs with our member organizations, with a real focus on increasing female participation at all levels. These efforts, coupled with the outstanding work of our NPCs and International Federations, are starting to pay off, delivering record results."
Top Five Largest Delegations
China, who have topped the medals table at each Paralympic Games since Athens 2004, boasts the largest delegation with 282 athletes (124 male and 158 female).
With 255 athletes (138 male, 117 female), Rio 2016 hosts Brazil have the second biggest delegation, followed by host nation France with 237 athletes (155 men and 82 women). For the first time in history, France will be represented in all 22 sports. The French team boasts 82 women, the greatest number it has ever sent to the Paralympic Games and more than double the 37 women that competed at Tokyo 2020. The French team's youngest athlete is Marie N'Goussou aged 15 in Para athletics.
USA will feature 220 athletes (110 male and 110 female), while Great Britain will have 201 (109 male and 92 female).
Female Competitors
Thirty-five NPCs* boast a record number of female athletes for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, while 27 NPC+ have more female athletes than male athletes.
Fifteen Para sports - Para archery, Para athletics, Para badminton, Para canoe, Para cycling, Para equestrian, Para judo, Para powerlifting, Para rowing, Shooting Para sport, Para swimming, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, Para table tennis, and wheelchair rugby - have more female athletes competing in their sports compared to Tokyo 2020.
Para equestrian (17 male/61 female) and powerlifting (89 male/90 female) have more female competitors than males, while Para badminton, goalball, Para rowing, and wheelchair basketball have achieved gender parity. Boccia (68 male/57 female), Para judo (79 male/68 female), Para Taekwondo (61 male/60 female), Para triathlon (66 male/55 female), sitting volleyball (96 male 91 female) and wheelchair fencing (49 male/48 female) are almost at gender parity.
Largest Sports
Para Athletics will feature the most competitors, 1,135 athletes who will contest 164 medal events. Para swimming is the second largest sport starring 608 athletes who will compete in 141 medal events. Para table tennis has the third most athletes with 182 athletes who will compete in 31 medal events.
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games took place between 28 August and 8 September 2024.
Update: Final Results
China topped the Paris 2024 Paralympic medal table with 94 gold and 220 total medals, extending a run that began at Athens 2004. Great Britain finished second with 49 gold medals and the United States third with 36.
*Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Cameroon, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Morocco, Mongolia, Nigeria, Peru, Poland, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.
+ Canada, China, Ecuador, Fiji, Hong Kong China, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Mexico, North Macedonia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei, Turkey, and Venezuela.
Frequently Asked Questions
NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)
How are Paralympic athletes classified?
Athletes are assessed by trained classifiers who determine how their impairment affects performance in a specific sport. They are then placed in a sport class with athletes who have a similar level of activity limitation.
What is the Refugee Paralympic Team?
The Refugee Paralympic Team lets athletes who have been forced to flee their home countries compete at the Paralympic Games under the IPC flag. Refugee athletes first took part at Rio 2016, and the team competed under its current name at Tokyo 2020.
Why did athletes from Russia and Belarus compete as neutrals?
Following the invasion of Ukraine, the IPC suspended the national Paralympic committees of Russia and Belarus, so eligible athletes from those countries competed as Neutral Paralympic Athletes without national flags or anthems.
Where will the next Summer Paralympic Games be held?
The next Summer Paralympic Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028, following the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy.
What sports are in the Summer Paralympics?
Paris 2024 included 22 sports, among them Para athletics, Para swimming, boccia, goalball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, sitting volleyball and blind football. Boccia and goalball have no Olympic equivalent.
How can someone with a disability get started in Para sport?
National Paralympic committees and national sport federations often run talent searches, clubs and come and try sessions. Local disability sport organizations and rehabilitation centers can also point to adapted programs nearby.
What is the difference between the Paralympics and the Special Olympics?
The Paralympic Games are an elite competition for athletes with physical, visual and some intellectual impairments, based on performance and classification. Special Olympics focuses on sport and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities at all ability levels.
Who runs the Paralympic Games?
The International Paralympic Committee, based in Bonn, Germany, governs the Paralympic Movement and organizes the Games with each host city's organizing committee. It also directly governs several Para sports.
Insights, Analysis, and Developments
Editorial Note: The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games went on to deliver strong crowds and competition, with China again topping the medal table with 94 gold and 220 total medals, extending a run that began at Athens 2004. The participation records matter as much as the medals, because each new delegation and each additional female athlete reflects investment in classification, coaching and accessible facilities back home. Reaching 45 percent female participation shows that targeted funding works, yet gender balance is still uneven across sports and regions. For young people with disabilities, seeing athletes from countries such as Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo on the world stage can turn sport from an idea into a realistic goal.*
Attribution/Source(s): This quality-reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally issued as a press release by International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and published on 23 Aug 2024. Last updated on 4 Nov 2026. This content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.
* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.