Paralympic opening ceremony draws fans from around the world
People from all around the world dressed up in their country’s colors to support Paralympic athletes during the opening ceremony
Lillian Van Alsburg & Griffin Hadley
The Paris 2024 Summer Paralympic Games are underway, and the US men’s wheelchair basketball team had it first match against Spain on Thursday.
The games follow the 2024 Paris Olympics which ran from July 26, 2024, to Aug. 11. The Paralympics will take place at many of the same venues that saw Olympic action, while others are being converted for the Paralympics.
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Here’s what to know about wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics:
The men’s wheelchair basketball team had its first game of the 2024 Paralympics against Spain. Team USA left the court victorious after the game on Thursday that ended 66-56.
When is the men’s wheelchair basketball team playing in 2024 Paralympics?
After the victory, Team USA has a game against the Netherlands at 10 a.m. ET on Saturday.
What is wheelchair basketball Paralympics?
Wheelchair basketball consists of two teams that have five players and seven substitutes with the goal being to insert the ball in the basket of the opposing team, according to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation website.
“The match consists of four periods of ten minutes,” according to the website. “If the score is tied at the end of playing time for the fourth period, the match will be continued with an extra period of five minutes or with as many such periods of five minutes as are necessary to break the tie.”
The women’s wheelchair basketball team is playing their first game against Germany on Friday at 10 a.m.
When are the 2024 Paris Paralympics?
The 2024 Paris Paralympics began on Wednesday with the opening ceremony and will run through Sunday, September 8.
What to know about the 2024 Paris Paralympics
The games will feature around 4,400 athletes from around the world. They will compete in 549 medal events across 22 different sports. Many of the events will be held at the same venues that hosted the athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics. For example, wheelchair basketball will take place at the Bercy Arena, the site of the men’s and women’s basketball competition during the Paris Olympics.
The medals are also similar to the ones awarded at the 2024 Paris Olympics, complete with a piece of original iron from the Eiffel Tower. They have also been designed to be distinguished by touch and include engravings and braille.
These will mark the first Summer Paralympic Games held in France, and the event has already led to positive changes in accessibility; the city of Paris has made tweaks to make overground transportation more accessible.
What sports are in the 2024 Paris Paralympics?
- Para Archery
- Para Athletics
- Para Badminton
- Blind Football (soccer)
- Boccia
- Para Canoe
- Para Cycling
- Para Equestrian
- Goalball
- Para Judo
- Para Powerlifting
- Para Rowing
- Shooting Para Sport
- Sitting Volleyball
- Para Swimming
- Para Table Tennis
- Para Taekwondo
- Para Triathlon
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Wheelchair Fencing
- Wheelchair Rugby
- Wheelchair Tennis
How to watch the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
The 2024 Paris Paralympics will be broadcast across the NBC family of networks, with many events taking place on USA Network and CNBC.
The Paralympics can also be streamed on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, the official Paralympic YouTube channel and the International Paralympic Committee website.
Gabrile Jackson contributed to this article.
