Swimming, fencing and wheelchair basketball are just some of the competitions taking place Thursday as part of the 2024 Paralympic Games, which kicked off with an opening ceremony in Paris the evening before.
The ceremony came as the 2024 Paris Olympic Games closed out earlier in August, with Team USA bringing home the most medals: 126.
How many athletes from California are competing at the 2024 Paralympic Games?
There are 225 Paralympic athletes competing for the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team — and 27 of those athletes are from California, according to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the most of any state.
When is the 2024 Paralympics?
The 2024 Paralympic Games, held in Paris, is from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8.
When and where did the first Paralympics Games take place?
The Stoke Mandeville Games was the first competition for wheelchair athletes in 1948, according to the International Paralympic Committee. Those games later became the Paralympic Games, which debuted in Rome, Italy, in 1960, with 400 athletes from 23 countries.
How to watch the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games will be broadcast across NBC’s networks, with many events shown on USA Network. The Paralympic Games can also be streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, the official Paralympic YouTube channel and the International Paralympic Committee website.
What is the Paralympic Games list?
There are 22 Paralympic sports for the Summer Games that Paralympians will be competing for a medal in, according to the International Paralympic Committee. Those are:
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Para archery
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Para athletics
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Para badminton
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Blind football
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Boccia
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Para canoe
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Para cycling
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Para equestrian
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Goalball
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Para judo
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Para powerlifting
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Para rowing
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Shooting para sport
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Sitting volleyball
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Para swimming
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Para table tennis
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Para taekwondo
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Para triathlon
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Wheelchair basketball
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Wheelchair fencing
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Wheelchair rugby
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Wheelchair tennis
What is the Paralympics 2024 schedule?
The qualifying rounds for badminton and wheelchair rugby will be held on Thursday, while the U.S. will face Spain in men’s wheelchair basketball.
Here’s the full schedule for Thursday. All times are Pacific:
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2 a.m.-3:05 a.m.: Swimming – Qualifying Heats (LIVE)
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3:15 a.m.-4:30 a.m.: Men’s Wheelchair Basketball – Great Britain vs. Germany
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4:30 a.m.-6:15 a.m.: Wheelchair Rugby – United States vs. Canada (LIVE)
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6:15 a.m.-7 a.m.: Cycling – Track Qualifying
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7 a.m.-8:45 a.m.: Men’s Wheelchair Basketball – United States vs. Spain (LIVE)
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8:45 a.m.-11:50 a.m.: Swimming – Finals (LIVE)
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12 p.m.-12:30 p.m.: Badminton – Qualifying Round
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12:30 p.m.-1:15 p.m.: Wheelchair Rugby – Qualifying Round
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1:15 p.m.-2 p.m.: Best of Day 1
On Friday, viewers can tune into goalball, archery, rowing, swimming, taekwondo, table tennis, track and field, boccia, wheelchair basketball, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, wheelchair tennis and wheelchair rugby.
Visit NBCOlympics.com/schedule for a complete list of events each day through the 2024 Paralympic Games.
USA TODAY reporter Carrie McDonald contributed to this article.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 2024 Paralympic Games: history, sports and when to watch
