Schedule, sports, stars: Everything you need to know about the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 | News about the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris

When and where will the opening ceremony of the Paralympics take place? How many athletes will compete? Al Jazeera gives the answer.

Less than two weeks after the curtain fell on the Olympic Games, Paris is once again shining in the splendor of another major sporting event.

Starting Wednesday, the 2024 Paralympic Games will take place in the French capital, where thousands of athletes will compete for coveted medals.

Here’s what you need to know about the Paris Games:

When will the 2024 Paralympics take place?

The Paralympics will take place from Wednesday, August 28th to Sunday, September 8th.

When and where will the opening ceremony take place?

A glittering opening ceremony will open the Games at 8pm local time (6pm GMT) on Wednesday. It will be the first Paralympic opening ceremony to be held outside a stadium, similar to the opening of the Olympic Games about a month ago.

The athletes will parade in front of an expected 65,000 people along the famous Avenue des Champs-Elysees in Paris to the public square Place de la Concorde.

It’s almost time! ✨#Paralympics #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/7pKbe9x0gf

— Paralympic Games (@Paralympics) 27 August 2024

Where will the Paralympic competitions take place?

The 18 venues for the games in Paris and the surrounding area are:

• Stade de France: Para-athletics
• Roland Garros Stadium: Wheelchair tennis
• Palace of Versailles: Para-equestrian
• Paris La Defense Arena: Para-swimming
• Eiffel Tower Stadium: Blind football
• Invalides: Para-archery
• Alexandre III Bridge: Para-Triathlon
• Grand Palace: Wheelchair fencing, para taekwondo
• Champ de Mars Arena: Para-Judo, wheelchair rugby
• Chapelle Arena Gate: Para-badminton, para-powerlifting
• South Paris Arena: Boccia, Para-Table Tennis, Goalball
• Chateauroux Shooting Centre: Shoot
• North Paris Arena: Sitting volleyball
• Bercy Arena: Wheelchair basketball
• Velodrome Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines: Paracycling – Track
• Water sports stadium Vaires-Sur-Marne: Para-canoeing, para-rowing
• Clichy-Sous-Bois: Paracycling – Road
• From Saint-Denis to Esplanades des Invalides: Paralympic marathon course

Check out Al Jazeera’s guide to Olympic venues.

Which countries will participate in the 2024 Paralympics?

More than 150 countries will be represented in Paris.

China, Great Britain (GB) and the United States (USA) have some of the largest contingents, with over 200 athletes each, while dozens of countries are represented by a single athlete each.

How many athletes will participate in the 2024 Paralympics?

More than 4,400 athletes will come together for the games in Paris.

What sports will there be at the 2024 Paralympics?

The athletes compete in 549 medal events in 22 sports:

• Para-archery
• Para-athletics
• Para-Badminton
• Blind football
• Bocce
• Para-Canoe
• Para-cycling
• Para-equestrian
• Goalball
• Para-Judo
• Para-powerlifting
• Para-rowing
• Para-shooting
• Sitting volleyball
• Para-swimming
• Para table tennis
• For Taekwondo
• Para-Triathlon
• Wheelchair basketball
• Wheelchair fences
• Wheelchair rugby
• Wheelchair tennis

Which sports are only available at the Paralympics?

Only two Paralympic sports – goalball and boccia – have no Olympic equivalent.

Goalball is played on an indoor court the size of a volleyball court, with goals at both ends. Teams of visually impaired or blind players (who wear eye masks to ensure fairness) take turns rolling a ball with bells on it toward the opposing goal. Players on the defending team act as goalkeepers.

In bocce, players throw or roll leather balls as close as possible to a small ball, the so-called target ball.

Which Paralympic stars should you definitely keep an eye on?

• Gustavo Fernandez (Argentina): Wheelchair tennis
• Shae Graham (Australia): Wheelchair Rugby
• Alistair Donohoe (Australia): Para-cycling
• Alana Maldonado (Brazil): Para-Judo
• Patrick Anderson (Canada): Wheelchair basketball
• Claire Taggart (GB): Boccia
• Rachel Choong (GB): Para-badminton
• William Ellard (GB): Para-swimming
• Avani Lekhara (India): Para-shooting
• Sumit Antil (India): Para-athletics
• Bebe Vio (Italy): Wheelchair fencing
• Simone Barlaam (Italy): Para-swimming
• Sugiura Keiko (Japan): Para-cycling
• Amalia Perez (Mexico): Para-powerlifting
• Diede de Groot (Netherlands): Wheelchair tennis
• Birgit Skarstein (Norway): Para-rowing
• Haider Ali (Pakistan): Para-athletics
• Oksana Masters (USA): Para-cycling
• Tatyana McFadden (USA): Para-athletics
• Jessica Long (USA): Para-swimming

Who can qualify to participate in the Paralympics?

According to the International Paralympic Committee, to be eligible to participate in the Paralympics, athletes must “suffer from an underlying medical condition that results in a permanent impairment that entitles them to participate.”

Impairments can be caused by cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, amputations, physical injuries or mental disabilities, blindness or poor vision.

How are athletes classified?

To ensure fair competition among Paralympics participants, athletes are grouped according to the extent to which their disability limits them or how it impacts their ability to compete in their chosen sport.

Where can you watch the 2024 Paralympics?

Al Jazeera will cover the key results and talking points from the Games.

The games can be followed on the Paralympic YouTube channel and on the regional channels listed here.

Can tickets still be purchased for the 2024 Paralympics?

Tickets for the Games can be purchased on the Paris 2024 ticket page.