The world was captivated by the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, but the excitement is far from over. The Paralympic Games are just one day away, bringing together over 4000 athletes with various impairments from over 150 nations across the globe. The 2024 Paralympics also sees the largest ever Refugee Paralympic team, with eight athletes and one guide runner representing more than 120 million forcibly displaced people across the world.
Paris Paralympics, 2024
The Paralympics, a global sporting event showcasing the incredible athletic achievements of athletes with disabilities, is set to captivate audiences worldwide on August 28th, 2024. With a diverse range of sports and inspiring stories, the Paralympics offer a unique and unforgettable viewing experience. And with just one day until the opening ceremony, Casino Stake has crafted an essential viewers guide. Think important sports, betting tips, and athletes to watch – we’ve got you covered.
A Brief History of the Paralympic Games
When did the Paralympics Start?
The Paralympics have a long and fascinating history. It all began in 1948, in Stoke Mandeville, England, with a small gathering of World War II veterans who had suffered spinal cord injuries. Originally titled the Stoke Mandeville Games, this movement saw around 16 servicemen and women partake in competitive archery.
The First Paralympic Games
The first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome, Italy, in 1960. This groundbreaking event marked a significant milestone in the history of the Paralympics, rebranding the Stoke Mandeville games and showcasing the incredible abilities of athletes with disabilities to a global audience. The first Paralympic games saw 400 athletes from 23 countries gather to compete.
In 1976, the world saw the first ever Winter Games in Paralympics history, hosted in Sweden. The games began their 4-year cycle and brought in the Opening and Closing ceremonies to enhance the spectacle. Since the Summer Games of Seoul, Korea in 1988 and the Winter Games in Albertville, France in 1992 the Games have also taken part in the same cities and venues as the Olympics due to an agreement between the IPC and IOC.
Over the decades, the Paralympics have continued to grow and evolve, expanding to include an even wider range of sports and athletes. Today, the Paralympics are a major sporting event, attracting millions of viewers from around the world, playing an essential role in promoting inclusivity and challenging stereotypes about people with disabilities.
Paralympic Sports: A World of Possibilities
Much like the Olympics, the Paralympics are like a buffet of sports, each one more exciting than the last. Here are a few of the most popular, and our personal favourites:
Archery
The sport that started it all – Paralympic archery adapts traditional archery equipment and formats to accommodate athletes with disabilities, focusing on precision and skill.
Athletics
Paralympic athletics involves a number of track and field events, specifically designed to accommodate athletes with disabilities. It includes events such as running, jumping, throwing, and relay races.
Wheelchair Fencing
Paralympic fencing is a dynamic sport blending the finesse of traditional fencing with the unique challenges of wheelchair athletes. Competitors engage in intense duels, using adapted swords and wheelchairs, while showcasing their skill, strategy, and determination.
Para Swimming
Athletes compete in various classifications based on the nature and extent of their impairments, using adaptive equipment and techniques. From freestyle sprints to butterfly strokes, para swimmers push the boundaries of human ability in the pool.
Wheelchair Basketball
Wheelchair basketball is what it says on the tine – basketball played in specialised wheelchairs. Wheelchair basketball requires exceptional skill, teamwork, and physical endurance.
Powerlifting
Adapted for athletes with disabilities, para-lifting focuses on the bench press. With various classifications to ensure fair competition, Paralympic powerlifting provides a platform for athletes to excel and inspire others.
Table Tennis
Paralympic table tennis follows a similar format to Olympic table tennis, but the equipment and competition format are adapted to accommodate the needs of various classifications of disabilities.
Goalball
Goalball is a competitive sport specifically designed for athletes with visual impairments. It is played on a rectangular court with six players per team. The goal is to throw the ball into the opponent's goal using their hands.
