Get ready for more thrills as the 2024 Summer Paralympics are on the horizon, promising to ignite the passion of sports enthusiasts once again!
From August 28 to September 8, the vibrant city of Paris will make history by hosting a multi-sport parasports event. This is a momentous occasion as it will be the first time the Paralympics will be held in the city.
This time, the Kingdom of Bahrain has two qualified athletes. Roba Alomari, known as the first wheelchair basketball player in the Gulf region, will compete in the discus throw F55 category while Hussain Muhammad will compete in the men’s 400m T11 with his guide, Abdulla Jameel.
The Paralympics are athletic events designed for athletes with disabilities and are similar to the Olympic Games in style. The term “Paralympics” is not limited to athletes with paraplegia; rather, it originates from the Greek preposition ‘para’ (beside or alongside) and the word ‘Olympic,’ signifying that the Paralympics run parallel to the Olympics, demonstrating the coexistence of the two movements, according to paralympic.org.
In the competition, the athletes are grouped based on their impairment. This includes physical and visual impairments such as limb deficiency, short stature, and blindness among others.
The Paralympics offers a diverse range of sports for athletes with different disabilities to compete in. Like the Olympics, athletes are matched with competitors in the same disability category, and they can participate in events such as Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Swimming, Shooting, and many others.
The Paralympic Village
The Paralympic Village for Paris 2024 has been meticulously designed to cater to the specific needs of every Para athlete. The residential areas and apartments have been constructed without any steps, ensuring seamless accessibility for all.
The restrooms are spacious and equipped with showers with transfer chairs, enabling athletes to move comfortably from their wheelchairs.
Additionally, the electric sockets have been strategically placed 45 centimeters above the floor, making them easily accessible for athletes with varying disabilities.
Meanwhile, the Village Dining Hall prepares an impressive 25,000 meals every day for the athletes and staff staying there.
The dining hall offers a wide range of culinary options, including Asian, Italian, and French cuisines, ensuring that there’s something for everyone.
According to its website, the dining hall emphasizes the use of French produce, with a striking 80% of raw materials such as vegetables and meat being sourced directly from France.
How are the events played differently?
Certain sports have adapted their rules and equipment to account for the wide range of abilities among Paralympic athletes.
Wheelchair racing
In wheelchair racing, athletes can compete in various distances, including sprints such as 100m, 200m, and 400m, middle distances like 800m and 1500m, and longer distances such as 5000m and 10,000m.
Additionally, there are relay races including the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m events.
Para archery
In Para-archery, athletes follow similar rules and participate in the same rounds, distances, and events as archers at the Olympics. However, Para archers are classified into two categories. One category is for individuals who compete in wheelchairs and have some degree of muscle strength, coordination, or range of movement loss in their arms.
In this particular group, archers are permitted to utilize a bow with a draw weight not exceeding 45 lbs and are not allowed to use magnifying sights.
The other category is designed for archers who can participate in a wheelchair, while standing, or using a stool for support. These archers have limited trunk and limbs movement but typically have normal arm function or balance issues.
During the competition, participants will take part in a ranking round where they will shoot 72 arrows, divided into 12 sets of six arrows each. The shooting distances will be either 50 or 70 meters, and participants will have four minutes to shoot their six arrows. Following the ranking round, participants will engage in head-to-head elimination rounds, with each round consisting of five sets, and three arrows will be shot during each set.
Para swimming
Para-swimmers participate in a wide range of races comparable to those of able-bodied swimmers. These include backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, freestyle, and individual medley events, spanning 50 to 400 meters.
In Paralympic swimming, the pools are slightly smaller than those used in the Olympics, typically featuring only eight lanes. To ensure fair competition, swimmers are categorized into specific sports classes based on their level of disability.
In terms of starting procedure, para-swimmers can differ depending on the swimmers’ impairments as some swimmers may dive into the water, while others may enter the water directly.
Swimmers who are unable to hold the platform grip on their own receive assistance. Additionally, athletes with vision impairments are aided by an assistant who uses a device to tap the swimmer’s head as they approach the turns or finish of the race.
Javelin Throw
In these throwing events, athletes are categorized based on the nature and extent of their impairment, similar to other Paralympic sports.
In the men’s javelin throw, a 2.6m long 800g javelin is used, while a 2.2-2.3m long 600g javelin is used in the women’s event.
Athletes build momentum by sprinting along a 30m track before hurling the javelin as far as possible across the field. Points are awarded if the javelin lands with its tip first within a 29-degree area.
Para Taekwondo
In this event, competitors are not allowed to strike their opponents in the head. If they do, they will receive a penalty known as a gam-jeom, which awards a point to the opposing player.
In the pointing system, points can only be earned by contacting the opponent’s torso. Athletes receive two points for a regular kick, three for a turning kick, and four for a spinning kick.
Contests in Para taekwondo consist of a single round lasting up to five minutes. To ensure safety, athletes wear protective gear and “sensor socks” that can detect when a point is scored by hitting the opponent’s torso.
‘More women will compete’
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has revealed that the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will witness an unprecedented level of participation, with a record number of delegations and female athletes set to compete.
How to watch?
Sports enthusiasts can witness this momentous event, which will take place from August 28 to September 8, via the Paralympic YouTube Channel and the International Paralympic Committee website (geo-blocking policies may apply).