"Stunning" Paris Paralympics Set to Kick Off on Wednesday

 Paris is committed to delivering an unforgettable experience as it prepares to host the 2024 Paralympics.

Following the postponed Tokyo Games in 2021, which took place without spectators due to the COVID pandemic, and the financial troubles that plagued Rio 2016, the pressure is mounting on Paris to host an event that matches or surpasses the London 2012 Games.

The opening ceremony will take place on Wednesday at 19:00 BST in the Place de la Concorde, with the first of 549 gold medals set to be awarded the following day. The event will conclude with the closing ceremony at Stade de France on Sunday, September 8.

Nearly two million tickets have already been sold, with around 500,000 still available. Organizers state that following the successful Paris Olympics, this is merely the first half of their journey.

The Paris Paralympics will showcase a record number of delegations and female athletes, and will benefit from unprecedented television coverage in more regions than ever.

In the UK, Channel 4 will broadcast the Games, offering over 1,300 hours of live sports across its channels, including Channel 4, More4, Channel 4 Streaming, and Channel 4 Sport’s YouTube. BBC Radio 5 Live will provide commentary and updates from major events, along with dedicated programming most evenings, while the BBC Sport website will feature live text commentary every day.

“I often say that these will be the most spectacular Paralympic Games ever, and I believe it in my heart,” declared Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee.

Although France has never previously hosted a summer Paralympics, it did organize the Winter Games in Albertville in 1992.

Great Britain will be represented by 215 athletes in Paris across 19 sports, a slight decrease from the 227 who competed in Tokyo, with the team consisting of 116 men and 99 women.

The oldest British athlete is 54-year-old canoeist Jeanette Chippington, who made her debut for ParalympicsGB at the 1988 Seoul Games. The youngest is 13-year-old swimmer Iona Winnifrith, along with 14-year-old table tennis player Bly Twomey, who is also part of the squad.

Leading the charge for British medals is Sarah Storey, competing in her ninth Games and aiming to increase her gold medal count to 19. The 46-year-old will participate in the cycling road race and time trial, prioritizing road events over track competitions.

In the velodrome, strong contenders like Kadeena Cox and Jody Cundy represent British hopes, while in athletics, Hannah Cockroft seeks to maintain her dominance in the T34 100m and 800m, aiming to add to her seven Paralympic golds.

Sammi Kinghorn is another significant medal contender on the track, and Will Bailey aims for another gold in table tennis after securing victory at the Rio 2016 Games.

Swimmer Alice Tai returns after missing the Tokyo Games due to injury and the amputation of her right leg below the knee last year. Meanwhile, Para-archer Jodie Grinham will compete on Friday while 28 weeks pregnant.

In wheelchair tennis, 30-time Grand Slam champion Alfie Hewett is striving to win his first Paralympic gold, while in Para-triathlon, former schoolmates Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore will once again compete for gold after an intense race at Tokyo 2020, which Steadman won.

"The Celebration Continues" for the Hosts

Following an Olympics in which France secured fifth place in the medal standings, the hosts aim to maintain that momentum into the Paralympics, both in terms of athletic performance and the overall atmosphere of the event.

One of their gold medal hopefuls is Para-triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant, who will serve as one of the French flagbearers during the opening ceremony. He is looking to defend his title in the PTS4 category from the Tokyo Games.

"The Olympic Games were a tremendous success, with a large number of spectators, incredible enthusiasm, and a fantastic atmosphere. Naturally, we all hope to replicate that at the Paralympic Games," stated Hanquinquant.

"We have some iconic venues, and the sights will be breathtaking. Paris is the most beautiful city in the world, and I believe we are in for an exceptional Paralympic Games.

"The first phase is complete, and now we move on to the second phase. Come out and support us; you won't be disappointed. The celebration continues."

Hanquinquant and the organizers are hopeful that the River Seine will not pose any problems during the Paralympics, especially after the men's Olympic triathlon was postponed by a day and training sessions were canceled due to poor water quality.

What about the global perspective?

Among the prominent global athletes in Paris is Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, the fastest Paralympian in the world, who aims to defend his T47 100m title. His world record stands at an impressive 10.29 seconds.

Germany’s Markus Rehm, known as the "Blade Jumper," seeks his fourth Paralympic long jump title in the T64 category. His world record of 8.72m ranks as the ninth longest jump in history, while his best this year is 8.44m— a distance that would have earned Olympic silver in Paris and gold at the previous four Games.

In Para-athletics, Valentina Petrillo is poised to become the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympics. She has been selected to represent Italy in the women's T12 classification for athletes with visual impairments. Petrillo, who transitioned in 2019 and will compete in the 200m and 400m, told BBC Sport that her participation serves as an "important symbol of inclusion."

However, her inclusion has sparked controversy; in 2021, over 30 female athletes signed a petition addressed to the president of the Italian Athletics Federation and the ministries of Equal Opportunities and Sport, disputing her right to compete in women's events.

As with the Olympics, Russia and its ally Belarus are barred from sending athletes to the Games due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Nonetheless, some athletes from both nations can compete as neutrals—the Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA) delegation will include up to 90 competitors from Russia and eight from Belarus. All NPA athletes were independently verified to ensure they have not supported the war and are not affiliated with the military.

The Paralympic Refugee Team will feature eight athletes, with Zakia Khudadadi competing in the K44 -47kg Para-taekwondo event on the first day of competition. Born in Afghanistan, she represented her country in Tokyo after being safely evacuated just before the Games.

Additionally, three countries—Eritrea, Kiribati, and Kosovo—will make their debut in the Paralympics.