The next Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8, 2024, in Paris, France. The international event will bring together over 4,000 of the world’s best Paralympic athletes. It has become one of the biggest global sporting events in the world, with more and more spectators. Many people find the games inspiring, as they give people with disabilities more opportunities.
One of the largest sporting events in the world
The Paralympic Games 2024 will involve 22 sports, and over 500 events will take place over 11 days. Events will be held at 20 different competition venues. Over three million spectators are expected.
The Paralympics didn’t really capture the attention of the general public until the London and Rio Paralympics in 2012 and 2016. This means there haven’t been as many betting opportunities for the Paralympics as for the Olympic Games. However, with more popularity and the increase in online sports betting in the United States, this may change at the next event.
Venue for track and field event
All the track and field events will take place at the Stade de France, which is the biggest stadium in the country. The only exception will be the start of the marathon in a suburb of Paris, La Courneuve. There will be 164 track and field events. The large number is due to many impairment classifications and the popularity of the events.
Venue for wheelchair basketball
The wheelchair basketball event will be held in Madison Square Garden of Paris at the Bercy Arena. Eight teams will take part in the men’s and women’s tournaments. World War 2 veterans in wheelchairs would play basketball as a rehabilitation activity, and it grew as a sport from there. Today, athletes from more than 100 countries participate in the competition.
The rules of basketball are adjusted for paralympic athletes. Players must dribble the ball once or make a pass for every two pushes on the wheels of their chairs.
Venue for swimming events
Swimming events will take place in the La Défense Arena in Paris. Swimming has become one of the most popular events at the Paralympics. It was one of the eight sports in the first-ever Paralympic Games held in Rome in 1960.
Swimmers with different impairments compete in each event. They are not allowed to use prostheses in the competition. The same rules apply in the Olympic swimming events with modifications where necessary.
Venues for cycling
There are two cycling events at the Paralympic Games. The track cycling events will take place in the Vélodrome National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The road cycling events will go through the commune of Clichy-sous-Bois in the Seine-Saint-Denis department of Paris. The athletes ride bicycles adapted to their needs and are classified into 13 different categories according to their impairments.
Other events
There are a wide variety of other events at the Paralympic Games. Soccer five-a-side, powerlifting, rowing, and wheelchair tennis are just a few of them. Consulting a sports calendar will show when and where these events take place. The games consist of 549 events altogether.
Paralympic Day was held in the Place de la Republique the day before the Paris 2024 tickets went on sale. The positivity surrounding the event was evident as fans met Paralympic stars and tried out some of the sports.