Paris Paralympics 2024: Half of Olympic venues to be reused
The 2024 Paris Paralympics, commencing on August 28, will utilize half of the venues previously used for the Olympics. A total of 18 out of the 35 Olympic venues have been repurposed for this event. The Grand Palais, which received high praise for its handling of fencing and taekwondo during the Olympics, is among these venues. The La Defense Arena and Stade de France are also set to host various events.
Paris Paralympics 2024: Opening ceremony and ticket sales
The opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics 2024 will be held at Place de la Concorde, a venue that hosted skateboarding and other urban sports during the Olympics. This marks the first time in Paralympic history that the ceremony is being held away from the main stadium. Despite initial slow ticket sales, with less than half sold by mid-Olympics, organizers report a significant increase in recent weeks with several venues now fully booked.
Paris Paralympics 2024: Athletes to watch out for
The Paris Paralympics 2024 is expected to showcase new talents like American sprinter/high jumper Ezra Frech, a 19-year-old above-the-knee amputee who has already gained significant media attention. Veteran athletes are also returning, including British amputee sprinter Jonnie Peacock, a high-profile athlete from London 2012. He has resumed training with his running blade in hopes of securing a medal at his fourth consecutive Paralympics.
Paris Paralympics 2024: A platform for global disability issues
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons expressed his hope that the Paris Paralympics 2024 will bring global attention back to issues faced by disabled individuals. He believes that these Games "will have a big impact in how people with disability are perceived around the world." Parsons emphasized the need for disability to be reinstated on the global agenda, arguing that it has been overshadowed by discussions on sexual and gender identity in recent years.
Paris Paralympics 2024: Nations gear up for competition
China, a dominant force in the Paralympics with 96 gold medals from Tokyo three years ago, is preparing a strong team for Paris. Britain, which secured second place with 41 golds in Tokyo, is also expected to perform well. Host nation France aims to surpass its previous tally of 11 golds won in 2021. Despite ongoing conflict with Russian forces, Ukraine plans to send a team of 140 athletes across 17 sports.
