2024 Paralympics: Dates, Events, SA Medal Hopes And Most Famous Athletes

The 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris are scheduled from August 28 to September 8. We look at which South Africans could bring home medals, an overview of the schedule, and five world-famous Paralympians to look out for.

Schedule

The Games will feature a variety of sports, with the schedule organized as follows:

• Swimming: Starts on August 29.
• Wheelchair Tennis: Takes place from August 30 to September 7.
• Archery: Starts on August 29.
• Athletics: Begins on August 31.
• Cycling (Track): Runs from September 1-5.

Mzansi’s Medal Hopes

South Africa has a strong tradition in the Paralympic Games, with several notable athletes expected to make an impact in Paris:

Mpumelelo Mhlongo – A sprinter and long jumper who holds multiple world records in the T44 category. That section is defined as “Single below knee amputation or an athlete who can walk with moderately reduced function in one or both legs.”

Kat Swanepoel – A versatile swimmer with several medals from World Championships, competing in various S5 and SB4 categories. Those events are for people with a “moderate level of disability and includes people with full use of their arms and hands but limited to no use of their trunk and legs.”

Ntando Mahlangu – A T61 sprinter and long jumper who won gold in both events at Tokyo 2020, setting a world record. A T61 athlete is someone with the following definition: “lower limb/s competing with prosthesis affected by limb deficiency and leg length difference.”

Anrune Weyers – A T45 athlete who claimed gold in the 400m at the Tokyo 2020 Games. T45 is a “disability sport classification in disability athletics for people with double above or below the elbow amputations, or a similar disability.”

Pieter du Preez – A cyclist who won gold in the H1 time trial in Tokyo. H1 is a para-cycling classification that includes people with a number of disability types including spinal cord injuries and cerebral palsy.

Famous Athletes To Look Out For

Below are five of the most famous non-South African athletes expected to make a significant impact at the Paris 2024 Paralympics:

Martina Caironi (Italy) – A renowned sprinter, Caironi is a two-time gold medalist who competes in the T42 and T63 categories, which are for athletes with single above-knee amputations. She has won multiple medals in the 100-metre and long jump at previous Paralympic Games and will be a strong contender in Paris.

Timothée Adolphe (France) – Known as “Le Guépard Blanc” (The White Cheetah), Adolphe is a visually impaired athlete who competes in the T11 category, which requires athletes to run with a guide. He is a silver medalist from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and a prominent figure in French athletics.

Ezra Frech (USA) – A rising star in Paralympic athletics, Frech competes in the T63 category and has already set world records in the high jump. At just 19 years old, he is one of the youngest and most promising athletes in the field.

Simone Barlaam (Italy) – A para swimming sensation, Barlaam has won 18 World Championship gold medals and four Paralympic medals. Competing in the S9 category, Barlaam is known for his versatility across multiple swimming events and is a favourite to win more medals in Paris.

Sophie Pascoe (New Zealand) – A dominant force in para-swimming, Pascoe is New Zealand’s most decorated Paralympian with multiple gold medals from previous games. Competing in the S9 category, she is expected to continue her winning streak in Paris.