The 16th Paralympic Games
With Olympic fever kicking in and the action kicking off imminently in Paris, we’ve taken a look at the Paralympics, which begin on the 28th of August with Thomas Jolly’s opening ceremony. A veteran of four opening and closing ceremonies, Jolly is well known for breaking norms – so expect something a little out of the ordinary to get the show underway.
Paris will become only the third city, along with London, to host three summer Olympic Games, however, 2024 represents the first time the city has held a summer Paralympics. Progressively, this Games marks the first time the Olympics and Paralympics will share the same logo – an emblem which features a gold medal, flame and Marianne (the iconic symbol of the French Revolution).
Also in keeping with the theme of firsts, the Paris Paralympics represents the first time in history that all Para sports will be broadcast live on TV, with 300 hours of coverage set to be televised.
The Set Up
The Games, which run until the 8th of September, will involve nearly 4,500 Para athletes from all over the globe competing in 549 medal events across 22 sports. More than 150 nations will be represented. All events are taking place in and around the capital, including the suburbs of Saint-Denis and Versailles, as well as Vaires-sur-Marne, which sits just outside the city.
Throughout the Games, some of France’s most iconic venues will be utilised, including the Chateau de Versailles, which is hosting the equestrian events, and the Grand Palais, which will be the home of wheelchair fencing. Additionally, the Eiffel Tower will provide the backdrop for the blind football – an event that Brazil has never failed to win. Gender parity is also set to take another step forward in Paris, as the 2024 Para programme will feature a record 236 medal events for women and at least 1,859 places for female athletes, constituting a record in Paralympic Games history.
Athletes to Watch
As always, there are plenty of Para athletes to keep an eye on this summer. British swimmer and quadruple amputee Ellie Challis has nine world medals to her name, including three golds. She won silver in the 50m backstroke S3 at Tokyo 2020, becoming Great Britain’s youngest medalist in the process, and will be hoping to go one better this time around.
Also creating a lot of hype is Frenchman Benjamin Daviet. Having made a name for himself in the Winter Paralympic Games, winning five gold medals across Para cross-country skiing and biathlon, Daviet is remarkably plying his trade this summer in the Seine, competing in the Para rowing event.
Other esteemed members of Team GB include Hollie Arnold, who recently clinched her sixth straight javelin World title in the F46 class, and Matt Bush who originally made his name as a javelin and shot put athlete, before switching to taekwondo when it was added to the 2020 roster.
It’s also certainly worth keeping an eye on Team India, who were particularly successful last time around, improving on their tallies of one and four Paralympic medals in London and Rio respectively, to claim 19 in Tokyo.
At Blend Group we specialise in curating bespoke luxury experiences for our clients. If you’d like to talk to us about an Olympic or Paralympic experience, we’d love to hear from you here.
