The Paris Paralympics are fast approaching and you can plan how to follow the 11 days of competition with our day-by-day guide – all times BST.
A team of 215 athletes will represent ParalympicsGB in the French capital with a target of 100-140 medals set by UK Sport.
At the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games, held in 2021, the GB team finished second behind China in the medal table with 124 medals, including 41 golds.
The Games start with the opening ceremony on Wednesday, 28 August, with the first medals to be decided the following day and action continuing until the closing ceremony on Sunday, 8 September.
Medal events: 22
Para-cycling track (women’s C4-5 500m time trial, C1-3 3,000m individual pursuit, men’s B 4,000m individual pursuit, C1 3,000m individual pursuit); Para-swimming (men’s S9 400m freestyle, S1 100m backstroke, S2 100m backstroke, S14 100m butterfly, SB3 50m breaststroke, S10 50m freestyle, S13 100m butterfly, S5 200m freestyle; women’s S9 400m freestyle, S2 100m backstroke, S14 100m butterfly, S6 50m freestyle, S10 50m freestyle, S13 100m butterfly, S5 200m freestyle); Para-taekwondo (women K44 -47kg, K44 -52kg; men K44 -58kg)
Highlights
All eyes will be on where Britain’s first gold of the Games will come from and there are plenty of chances on the opening day of competition.
The velodrome was a happy hunting ground for the GB team at the Olympics and the Paralympic team will hope for similar.
Kadeena Cox, who created history in Rio by winning golds in both cycling and athletics, goes in the women’s C4-5 500m time trial (qualifying 11:00; final 14:50), aiming to retain her title after a turbulent build-up which has included a calf injury and a relapse of her MS.
Games debutant Daphne Schrager is a strong medal contender in the C1-3 individual pursuit (qualifying 11:58; final 15:29). She is world champion in the C2 division but the Paris event is a combined one.
And don’t rule out the tandem pair of Steve Bate and Chris Latham in the B individual pursuit (qualifying 12:41; final 16:13) – they are world silver medallists while Bate previously won gold and silver in the event with his former pilot Adam Duggleby.
At the pool, both William Ellard and Olivia Newman-Baronius won gold in May’s Open European Championships in Madeira in their respective S14 butterfly finals and will be hoping to claim their first Paralympic medals (17:35 and 17:42) with Newman-Baronius facing a stiff challenge from team-mate Poppy Maskill.
Tully Kearney won silver in the S5 200m freestyle in Tokyo, finishing just 0.12 seconds behind China’s Zhang Li, and will be hoping to go one better in the final at 19:45.
The GB wheelchair rugby team will start the defence of their title with a tricky-looking tie against world champions and world number one-ranked Australia (10:30), while it is also the opening day of the wheelchair basketball with the GB men, who have won bronze at four of the past five Games, starting against Germany (09:30) and the women up against Spain (11:45).
And archer Jodie Grinham, who is seven months pregnant, gets her women’s individual compound open competition under way with the ranking round (12:00) before the knockout starts on Friday.
World watch
We could see one of the final Games appearances of a Paralympic great on day one in Paris.
Spanish swimmer Teresa Perales made her debut in Sydney in 2000 and has 27 Paralympic medals over her career to make her the country’s most successful Paralympian. Now 48, she will be aiming to make the final in the S2 100m backstroke (heats 09:26; final 17:10) where Singapore’s Yip Pin Xiu is favourite for gold.
Belarusian swimmer Ihar Boki, who will be competing as a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, has been the dominant figure in the S13 division with 16 gold medals and will be chasing a fourth title in a row in the 100m butterfly (19:03) with Alex Portal leading home hopes.
And the first member of the Paralympic Refugee team will be in action when Zakia Khudadadi takes to the mat in the K44 -47kg taekwondo event (bouts from 09:00; final 19:34). Born in Afghanistan, she represented her country in Tokyo after being safely evacuated in the days prior to the Games.
Since then, she has been based in France and won gold in her division at last year’s European Championships.
Did you know?
Wheelchair rugby was originally called murderball and was developed in Canada in the 1970s by athletes with quadriplegia. It was a demonstration sport in Atlanta in 1996 with the first medals awarded in Sydney four years later.
Medal events: 42
Para-cycling track (men’s C4-5 1,000m time trial, C2 3,000m individual pursuit, C3 3,000m individual pursuit; women’s C4 3,000m individual pursuit, B 1,000m time trial); Para-swimming (men’s S5 100m freestyle, S4 100m freestyle, SM6 200m IM, S11 400m freestyle, SB9 100m breaststroke, S13 100m backstroke, SB8 100m breaststroke; women’s S5 100m freestyle, SM6 200m IM, S11 400m freestyle, SB9 100m breaststroke, S13 100m backstroke, SB8 100m breaststroke; mixed 20 point 4x50m freestyle); Para-taekwondo (men’s K44 -63kg, K44 -70kg; women’s K44 -57kg , K44-65kg); Para table tennis (women’s doubles WD14, WD5); Shooting Para Sport (R2 – women’s 10m AR standing SH1, P1 – men’s 10m air pistol SH1, R4 – Mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2); Para-athletics (women’s F55 discus, F41 shot put, T11 long jump, T35 100m, F32 club throw, T52 400m, T37 100m, T47 100m, F37 shot put; men’s T11 5000m, F38 javelin, T11 long jump, F55 shot put, T37 200m)
Highlights
It is set to be another busy day at the swimming pool for the British team.
Maisie Summers-Newton took over the mantle of Ellie Simmonds by winning the SM6 200m individual medley in Tokyo and is strong favourite to maintain her dominance and retain her title (17:01), having lowered her own world record in May.
Another Tokyo defending champion Tully Kearney will aim to make it back-to-back wins in the S5 100m freestyle (16:37) with team-mate Suzanna Hext also hoping to feature.
The SB8 100m breaststroke (19:12) looks to be a fascinating encounter with Britain’s Brock Whiston going in fastest but Ireland’s defending champion Ellen Keane, in her final race before retiring, and 16-year-old world champion Anastasiya Dmytriv of Spain are big dangers.
At the velodrome, Jody Cundy goes for gold in his eighth Paralympics in the C4-5 1,000m time trial (qualifying 11:30, final 13:57) after switching his bike for the dancefloor and Strictly Come Dancing last year.
Cundy, who is a C4 rider, will be competing against less-impaired C5 riders, including Spanish defending champion Alfonso Cabello, and will need to get somewhere close to his own world record to win a ninth Paralympic gold.
In the men’s C3 3,000m individual pursuit (qualfifying 12:30, final 15:18), defending champion Jaco van Gass and silver medallist Fin Graham will hope to battle it out for gold again and in the women’s B time trial (qualifying 13:12, final 15:34), 2023 world champions Sophie Unwin and pilot Jenny Holl and the 2024 world champions Lizzi Jordan and Danni Khan will aim to be in the final shake-up.
After winning silver on her Paralympic debut in Tokyo, taekwondo star Beth Munro will aim to go one better in the K44 -65kg division (final 21:28) while 14-year-old table tennis player Bly Twomey and Fliss Pickard could figure in the women’s doubles WD14 decider (19:00) and shooter Ryan Cockbill will aim for success in the R4 mixed 10m air rifle event (qualifying 12:30, final 15:15).
And archer Jodie Grinham, who is competing in Paris while seven months pregnant, and team-mate and defending champion Phoebe Patterson Pine will hope to progress into the last 16 of the women’s individual compound event (08:00).
World watch
The opening day of athletics will see 12 gold medals awarded – the first could go to Brazil in the T11 5000m (09:05) with Yeltsin Jacques a strong contender but Japan’s Kenya Karasawa is a threat.
Tunisian Raoua Tlili will be bidding for her third F41 shot put title in a row (09:35) – an event where she is also world champion.
The women’s and men’s T11 long jump competitions both take place on day one (09:49 and 18:00). Competitors wear blindfolds and have to rely on audio indications from their guide, who stands near the sand. The stadium is also silent as the athletes leap into the unknown.
And Brazil’s Petrucio Ferreira, the fastest Paralympian in the world, will be hoping to retain his T47 100m title (18:30). He won world gold in 2023 and ’24 and his world record stands at 10.29 seconds.
Did you know?
Lizzi Jordan is making her Paralympic debut for GB seven years after losing her sight, and almost her life, from suspected food poisoning.
The illness left her in a coma and after she came out of it, she had to learn how to walk again as well as dealing with the impact of her sight loss.
But discovering her talent for Para-cycling has changed everything and she and her pilot Danni Khan will hope to add Paralympic gold to their world title.
Medal events: 49
Para-cycling track (women’s C1-3 500m time trial; men’s C1-3 100m time trial, C4 4,000m individual pursuit, C5 4,000m individual pursuit); Para-swimming (men’s S12 100m backstroke, S14 200m freestyle, S8 100m backstroke, S13 400m freestyle, S1 50m backstroke, S2 50m backstroke, SM7 200m IM, S11 50m freestyle; women’s S12 100m backstroke, S14 200m freestyle, S8 100m backstroke, S13 400m freestyle, S2 50m backstroke, SM7 200m IM, S11 50m freestyle); Para-taekwondo (men’s K44 -80kg, K44 +80kg; women’s K44 +65kg); Para-table tennis (men’s doubles MD4, MD8, women’s doubles WD10, WD20, mixed doubles XD17); Shooting Para-sport (R1 – men’s 10m air rifle standing SH1; P2 – women’s 10m air pistol SH1); Para-athletics (women’s F13 javelin, F57 discus, T54 5,000m, T64 long jump, T13 1500m, F37 shot put, T11 400m, T38 100m, T47 400m; men’s F12 shot put, T13 5,000m, T46 1500m, F57 javelin, F32 club throw, T38 100m, T54 5,000m, F63 long jump, T12 100m); Para-archery (women’s individual W1, individual compound open)
After missing the Tokyo Paralympics with an elbow injury and then having her right leg amputated below the knee because of constant pain, Alice Tai goes in the S8 100m backstroke (17:06) as the fastest in the world and a strong favourite to win her first individual Paralympic gold.
Stephen Clegg, who is also chasing a first Paralympic gold, starts his programme in the S12 100m backstroke (16:30) where he won bronze in Tokyo and world gold in 2023.
And expect some strong GB performances in the S14 200m freestyle (16:44 and 16:51) through William Ellard, Poppy Maskill, Olivia Newman Baronius and Louise Fiddes while 13-year-old Iona Winnifrith, the youngest member of the GB team at the Games, will aim to make the final of the women’s SM7 200m individual medley (19:10).
Rising cycling star Archie Atkinson will be hoping to add the Paralympic title to his world gold in the C4 4,000m individual pursuit (qualifying 10:14, final 13:55) while Jaco van Gass and Fin Graham will both be hoping to feature in the men’s C1-3 1,000m time trial (qualifying 09:19, final 13:07).
At the Stade de France, both Thomas Young and Sophie Hahn will be aiming to hold on to their T38 100m crowns (18:35 and 19:06). And after failing to win a medal in Rio and Tokyo, can a resurgent David Weir finish on the podium in the T54 5,000m (19:25) where team-mate Danny Sidbury could also be in the shake-up.
In Para-archery, the women’s W1 comes to a climax with Victoria Kingstone hoping to figure (final 11:39) while in the women’s compound (19:00), defending champion Phoebe Paterson Pine and Jodie Grinham, who is seven months pregnant, will hope to challenge for medals.
GB will also be hoping for success at the Grand Palais, which is hosting the taekwondo with Tokyo bronze medallist Amy Truesdale in the +65kg (final 19:48) and Matt Bush in the +80kg division (20:02).
And the doubles finals continue in the table tennis with 14-year-old Bly Twomey and Joshua Stacey aiming to win medals in the mixed doubles XD17 (17:00) and Rob Davies and Tom Matthews in the men’s doubles MD4 (16:00).
World watch
The Netherlands will be chasing a double in the women’s T64 and men’s T63 long jump finals (10:18 and 19:35) through defending champion Fleur Jong and teenage star Joel de Jong.
Defending champion Susannah Scaroni of the US and Swiss pair Manuela Schaer and Catherine Debrunner will all hope to get onto the podium in the T54 5,000m (09:36).
And at the pool, Brazil’s Gabriel Araujo – known as Gabrielzinho – will be looking to retain his S2 50m backstroke crown (18:26) and add to his Paralympic titles.
Did you know?
In the compound open category, archers shoot at 50 metres on an 80cm target. The compound bow features mechanical pulleys, telescopic sights and release aids to assist accuracy.
Medal events: 60
Para-cycling track (men’s B 1,000m time trial; women’s B 3,000m individual pursuit, C5 3,000m individual pursuit, open C1-5 750m team sprint); Para-swimming (men’s SB6 100m breaststroke, S10 100m freestyle, SM8 200m IM, S11 100m backstroke, SM4 150m IM, SM3 150m IM, SB5 100m breaststroke; women’s SB6 100m breaststroke, S10 100m freestyle, SM8 200m IM, S11 100m backstroke, SM4 150m IM, SB5 100m breaststroke; mixed 4x100m freestyle relay); Para-table tennis (men’s doubles MD14, MD18, mixed doubles XD17); Shooting Para-sport (R3 – mixed 10m air rifle prone SH1, R5 – mixed 10m air rifle prone SH2); Para-athletics (women’s T12 long jump, T64 discus, T36 200m, F20 shot put, T53 800m, T84 800m, T35 200m, T34 javelin, T34 100m, T37 long jump; men’s F53 shot put, F40 shot put, F52 discus, T47 high jump, T44 100m, T13 100m, T53 400m, T54 400m, T11 400m); Para-archery (men’s individual W1, individual compound open); Para-triathlon (men’s PTS3, PTS2, PTS5, PTS4; women’s PTS2, PTS5, PTS4); Para-rowing (women’s single sculls PR1; men’s single sculls PR1; mixed double sculls PR2, mixed doubles PR3, mixed coxed four PR3); Boccia (women’s individual BC2; men’s individual BC2); Para-badminton (women’s doubles WH1-2; men’s doubles WH1-2)
Three years ago in Tokyo, husband and wife Neil and Lora Fachie both won golds in the space of 16 minutes and the pair will be hoping to repeat the feat on the final day of the track cycling programme in Paris where they will be watched on by son Fraser, who was born in October 2022.
Neil and pilot Matt Rotherham are world champions in the B 1,000m time trial (final 12:51) with team-mates James Ball and Steffan Lloyd likely to be a big danger.
Lora and Corrine Hall will also face a tough challenge in the B 3,000m individual pursuit (qualifying 10:22, final 13:31) against world champions and team-mates Lizzi Jordan and Danni Khan and the 2023 world champions Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl.
And the GB team sprint team, likely to include Jody Cundy and Kadeena Cox, will be hoping to beat a strong China side in the final event of the programme (14:30).
It is an early start for the triathletes with seven of the 11 classes down for decision (from 07:15).
The races start in the River Seine which was at the centre of controversy during the Olympics over its water quality with training cancelled and the men’s race delayed by a day.
The rivalry between former swimming team-mates Lauren Steadman and Claire Cashmore will continue in the PTS5 event (09:20) – the British pair won gold and bronze in Tokyo with American Grace Norman, the Rio champion, finishing second.
It is also a busy morning for the rowers as their competition reaches its climax with Lauren Rowles, aiming for a third consecutive gold, and Gregg Stevenson strong favourites in the mixed double sculls (10:50) while the PR3 mixed coxed four (11:30) will be hoping to continue GB’s unbeaten record in the class at major championships which goes back to 2011.
At the pool, there could be double breaststroke success for GB with Maisie Summers-Newton defending her SB6 title (16:37) while Grace Harvey will hope to go one better than her Tokyo silver in the SB5 event (18:51).
Brock Whiston should be up against American legend Jessica Long in the SM8 200m medley final (17:07) while the mixed S14 4x100m freestyle team are well fancied to retain the title GB won in Tokyo (19:13), although this year’s team will be a brand new quartet.
Wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft goes for her fourth consecutive T34 100m title (19:33) with Kare Adenegan hoping to claim another medal, while world champion Sabrina Fortune goes into the F20 shot put (18:00) in good form having improved her own world record in July.
Boccia player Claire Taggart will be aiming to win the first women’s BC2 Paralympic title (18:35) while the wheelchair rugby tournament reaches the semi-final stage (12:30 and 18:30) with defending champions GB hoping to figure.
World watch
The home crowd will be cheering on French triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant as he hopes to continue his dominance in the PTS4 event (09:15).
Hanquinquant, who had his leg amputated in 2013 after a work accident, was always a keen sportsman and made his Paralympic debut in Tokyo, finishing almost four minutes clear of his nearest rival, and is the man to beat in the division.
American high jumper Roderick Townsend is the star of the T47 event and he goes for a third title in a row (18:28).
After the retirement of 18:47) Ireland’s Jason Smyth, there will be a new champion in the T13 100m (with Tokyo runner-up Skander Djamil Athmani of Algeria and the T12 gold medallist Salum Ageze Kashafali of Norway bidding to lead the charge.
Did you know?
Lauren Rowles started her sporting career as a wheelchair racer before switching to rowing in 2015 and winning gold at the Rio Paralympics the next year with Laurence Whiteley.
In March, her partner Jude Hamer, who has represented GB in wheelchair basketball at the Paralympics, gave birth to their son Noah and Rowles has been passionate in speaking about sexuality, diversity and representation.
Medal events: 54
Para-swimming (men’s S7 400m freestyle, S9 50m freestyle, S3 50m freestyle, SB14 100m breaststroke, S13 50m freestyle, SB4 100m breaststroke, S2 200m freestyle; women’s S7 400m freestyle, S3 50m freestyle, SB14 100m breaststroke, S13 50m freestyle, SB4 100m breaststroke; mixed 34 point 4x100m medley); Shooting Para-sport (P3 – mixed 25m pistol SH1); Para-athletics (men’s T12 long jump, F56 discus, T34 100m, F41 shot put, F64 javelin, T35 100m, T36 long jump, F11 shot put, T63 100m, T64 100m; women’s T11 1500m, F54 shot put, F53 discus); Para-archery (mixed team W1, team compound open); Para-triathlon (men’s PTWC, PTVI, women’s PTWC, PTVI); Boccia (women’s individual BC1, BC3, BC4; men’s individual BC1, BC3, BC4); Para-badminton (women’s singles SL3, WH1, SL4, WH2, SU5, SH6; men’s singles SL3, SL4, WH1, SU5, WH2, SH6; mixed doubles SL3-SU5, SH6); Wheelchair rugby (team)
Highlights
After narrowly missing out on gold in Tokyo when badminton made its Paralympic debut, Dan Bethell will hope to figure in the final of the SL3 event (07:30-14:00) with defending champion Pramod Bhagat out after being suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a whereabouts failure.
In the same session, Jack Shephard and Rachel Choong will hope to figure in the SH6 mixed doubles decider with all GB athletes chasing their nation’s first gold medal in the sport.
The second day of the triathlon sees four more golds and Dave Ellis and guide Luke Pollard will bid to make up for Tokyo heartbreak where they went in as favourites in the men’s PTVI event (09:00) but suffered a mechanical failure on the bike leg which ended their race.
In the women’s PTVI (09:10), Alison Peasgood won silver in Rio but was fourth in Tokyo. She is back at the top level after having son Logan last August and will be aiming to impress again with guide Brooke Gillies.
Ellie Challis was Britain’s youngest medallist at the Tokyo Games when she won silver in the S3 50m backstroke in Tokyo aged 17 and she will hope to go one better this time (17:05) while Louise Fiddes has a good medal chance in the SB14 100m breaststroke (17:20).
At the Stade de France, the Blade Runners take centre stage with the men’s T63 and T64 100m finals (19:37 and 20:35). Can Jonnie Peacock win a third gold medal? The Briton took joint bronze in Tokyo after back-to-back titles in London and Rio.
There are six boccia golds up for decision with David Smith hoping to secure a third BC1 title in a row at his fifth Games (10:40) while it’s also the wheelchair rugby decider (18:30) – an event where GB won a historic gold in Tokyo.
World watch
Italy’s Valentina Petrillo, who is believed to be the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympics, will start her campaign in the opening round of the T12 400m (19:44) – an event where she won bronze at last year’s World Championships in Paris.
While Hannah Cockroft has dominated the women’s T34 100m, Tunisia’s Walid Ktila has the same standing in the men’s T34 sprint and he will chase a fourth consecutive title (10:11).
And in the pool, American Morgan Stickney will start as favourite for the S7 400m freestyle (16:40) with Simone Barlaam of Italy hoping to defend his S9 50m freestyle crown (16:52).
Did you know?
Para-badminton has been played internationally since the 1990s with the first World Championship taking place in the Netherlands in 1998. It made its Paralympic debut in Tokyo with 14 events and the Paris programme has been increased to 16.
Medal events: 50
Para-swimming (men’s S7 100m backstroke, S9 100m backstroke, S4 200m freestyle, S6 50m butterfly, S5 50m backstroke, S11 200m IM, S13 200m IM, S10 100m butterfly; women’s S9 100m backstroke, S6 50m butterfly, S5 50m backstroke, S11 200m IM SM11, S3 100m freestyle, SM13 200m IM, S10 100m butterfly); Shooting Para-sport (R7 – men’s 50m rifle three positions SH1; R8 – women’s 50m rifle three positions SH1); Para-athletics (men’s T47 long jump, T11 1500m, T13 1500m, T51 200m, T36 400m, T37 long jump, F20 shot put, F32 shot put, T38 400m, T63 high jump, F46 javelin, T20 400m, T54 1500m; women’s F56 javelin, F34 shot put, F11 discus, T12 400m, T54 1500m, T20 400m, T64 200m, T11 100m, T13 100m, T47 100m, T37 400m); Para-table tennis (men’s singles MS5); Para-archery (women’s individual recurve open); Para-equestrian (Grade I grand prix test, Grade II grand prix test, Grade III grand prix test); Wheelchair fencing (men’s sabre category A, sabre category B; women’s sabre category A, sabre category B)
Highlights
Para-equestrian has been a successful sport for GB at previous Games and the team will be hoping that the Chateau de Versailles can be another happy hunting ground.
The opening day of action features the grand prix tests with debutant Mari Durward-Akhurst going in the Grade I event (12:45) while Georgia Wilson will be in action in Grade II (10:45) and Natasha Baker in Grade III (08:00).
Baker will be aiming for her seventh Paralympic gold after returning to action following the birth of son Joshua in April 2023.
Back in 2021, swimmer Faye Rogers competed at the Olympic trials but did not make the GB team for Tokyo.
That September, she was injured in a car accident which left her with permanent damage to her arm but she found Para-swimming and is world champion in the S10 100m butterfly and will be aiming to add the Paralympic title (19:28) with team-mate Callie-Ann Warrington also a good medal contender.
Ellie Challis will hope to come away with something from the S3 100m freestyle (18:28) while Tully Kearney goes into the S5 50m backstroke (17:34) as the fastest in the world this year.
On the track, it could be another battle between David Weir and Swiss rival Marcel Hug in the men’s 1500m (19:54).
Dimitri Coutya and Piers Gilliver have been leading the GB wheelchair fencing challenge and they start their busy programmes with the sabre B (19:50) and sabre A (20:40) events while Gemma Collis will go in the women’s sabre A (21:05)
And the men’s wheelchair basketball reaches the quarter-final stage (from 13:45) as the GB team bid to claim another medal.
World watch
In athletics, expect plenty of interest around the women’s T12 400m final (11:10) which could feature Italian transgender sprinter Valentina Petrillo.
Los Angeles teenager Ezra Frech will be aiming to win Paralympic gold aged 19 in the T63 men’s high jump (19:20) and he is also tipped to be one of the faces of the 2028 Games, while his 20-year-old team-mate Jaydin Blackwell is the favourite for the T38 400m (18:21).
Swiss pair Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schaer should be among the leading figures in the women’s T54 1500m (11:20)
And Italian swimmers Carlotta Gilli and Stefano Raimondi will be key medal hopes for their nation in the women’s SM13 200m IM (18:59) and men’s S10 butterfly (19:28) respectively.
Did you know?
Ezra Frech’s mother Bahar Soomekh starred in the Saw movie franchise and the Oscar-winning movie Crash.
In 2006, Frech’s family founded Team Ezra, an organisation that supports people with physical disabilities and also established Angel City Sports and the Angel City Games in 2013, providing free sports training for children and adults with disabilities.
Medal events: 63
Para-cycling road (women’s C1-3, C4, C5, B, H1-3, H4-5, T1-2 time trials; men’s C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, B, H1, H2, H3, H4, H5, T1-2 time trials); Para-equestrian (Grade IV grand prix test, Grade V grand prix test); Para-swimming (men’s S12 100m freestyle, SM14 200m IM, S8 400m freestyle, SB2 50m breaststroke, S7 men’s 50m freestyle; women’s S12 100m freestyle, SM14 200m IM, S8 400m freestyle, SB3 50m breaststroke, S7 100m freestyle, S9 100m freestyle; mixed 49 point 4x100m freestyle relay); Para-athletics (women’s F41 discus, F46 shot put, F32 shot put, T36 100m, T53 100m, T54 100m; men’s F46 shot put, javelin F34, 400m T37, long jump T38, 100m T53, club throw F51, 100m T54, long jump T64, shot put F36); Wheelchair fencing (men’s foil category A, foil category B; women’s foil category A, foil category B); Para-powerlifting (women’s -41kg, -45kg; men’s -49kg, -54kg); Wheelchair tennis (quad doubles); Para-archery (men’s individual recurve open); Para-table tennis (women’s singles WS5, WS10, men’s singles MS10); Shooting Para-sport (P4 – mixed 50m pistol SH1, R9 mixed 50m rifle prone SH2)
Highlights
Day seven will be the first chance to see Britain’s most successful Paralympian Sarah Storey at Paris 2024.
The 17-time gold medallist across swimming and cycling opted out of the track programme to concentrate on the road and she starts her campaign for gold number 18 in the C5 time trial (from 07:00) – an event where she has won gold at every Games since her cycling debut in 2008.
The women’s B time trial could also be a good one for GB with Tokyo silver medallists Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall and the 2023 world silver medallists Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl aiming for gold.
Ben Watson, Jaco van Gass and Fin Graham will be aiming for a clean sweep in the men’s C3 time trial while Archie Atkinson will be chasing hard in the C4 event.
Scottish wheelchair racer Sammi Kinghorn will be hoping to become the first non-Chinese athlete to win the T53 100m title (19:36) since Tanni Grey-Thompson triumphed in Athens in 2004.
Kinghorn won world gold in 2023 but China’s Fang Gao and Hongzhuan Zhou and Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner will be big dangers.
Another Scot Stephen Clegg should be among the main challengers in the S12 100m freestyle final (16:30) while Poppy Maskill and Olivia Newman-Baronius are the fastest two in the world this year in the SM14 200m IM (16:51) and Rhys Darbey and William Ellard could figure in the men’s race (16:43).
Alice Tai has previously been a 50/100m specialist but swimming the Channel in 2023 has helped her grow to love the longer distances and she will hoping for a medal in the S8 400m freestyle (17:24) alongside Brock Whiston.
Powerlifter Zoe Newson be hoping to lift her way to a third Paralympic medal when she goes in the -45kg division (16:00) while Para-equestrian rider Sophie Wells will also be aiming to add to her six individual medals in the Grade V grand prix test (11:55).
The GB women will hope to feature in the wheelchair basketball quarter-finals (from 12:45) while the first wheelchair tennis medals will be decided at Roland Garros in the quad doubles (from 11:30), where Andy Lapthorne and Greg Slade will hope to be in contention.
World watch
Germany’s Markus Rehm – best known as the Blade Jumper – will start as strong favourite to win his fourth Paralympic long jump title in the T64 category (18:26).
Rehm, who lost his right leg below the knee in a wakeboarding accident in 2003 and jumps using a bladed prosthesis, has been the star of Para-athletics, constantly pushing the boundaries of his event.
However, he is unable to compete at the Olympics because it was ruled that jumping off his prosthesis gives him an advantage over non-amputees.
His current world record stands at 8.72m – the ninth longest jump of all time. His 2024 best is 8.44m – a distance which would have won Olympic silver in Paris and gold at the previous four Games.
Did you know?
As well as standard racing bikes with modifications where required and tandems, the Para-cycling road programme also features handcycling and trike races.
A handcycle has three wheels and riders use the strength of their upper limbs to operate the chainset. It is used by cyclists with spinal cord injuries or with one or both lower limbs amputated.
Tricycles are used by riders with locomotor dysfunction and balance issues such as cerebral palsy or hemiplegia.
Medal events: 63
Para-athletics (women’s F35 shot put, T38 long jump, F57 shot put, T37 100m, F64 shot put, T63 long jump, T12 100m, T53 400m, T54 400m, F33 shot put; men’s T12 400m, T13 400m, F11 discus, F64 discus, T11 100m, T53 800m, F35 shot put, T54 800m, F13 javelin); Shooting Para-sport (R6 – mixed 50m rifle prone SH1); Para-swimming (women’s SB7 100m breaststroke, S10 400m freestyle, SB11 100m breaststroke, SM9 200m IM, SB13 100m breaststroke, SB12 100m breaststroke, S8 50m freestyle; men’s S5 50m freestyle, S6 100m freestyle, SB11 100m breaststroke, SM9 200m IM, SB13 100m breaststroke; mixed 4x50m medley – 20 point), Para-powerlifting (women’s up to 50kg, up to 55kg; men’s up to 59kg, up to 65kg); Boccia (mixed BC1/2 team, mixed BC3 pairs, mixed BC4 pairs); Wheelchair tennis (women’s doubles; quad singles); Para-table tennis (men’s MS2 singles, MS3 singles, MS11 singles; women’s WS7 singles, WS11 singles); Wheelchair fencing (women’s foil team; men’s foil team); Para-cycling road (men’s H1-2 road race, H3 road race, H4 road race, H5 road race; women’s H1-4 road race, H5 road race); Goalball (women’s final, men’s final), Para-archery (mixed team recurve open); Para-judo (women -48kg J1, -48kg J2, -57kg J1; men -60 kg J1, -60 kg J2)
Highlights
GB will be hoping for success at different ends of the experience scale on day eight in Paris.
Discus thrower Dan Greaves will be hoping to win his seventh medal at his seventh Games in the F64 event (18:04), having made his debut in Sydney in 2000 aged 18 and winning a gold, two silvers and three bronzes over his career. Team-mate Harrison Walsh will also be challenging for a medal.
And in the pool, 13-year-old Iona Winnifrith, the youngest member of the GB team, has a strong chance of a medal in the SB7 100m breaststroke (16:30) at her first Games.
It could be a good day for the GB throwers. Along with Greaves and Walsh, Dan Pembroke defends his F13 javelin title (19:45) having won two world titles since his gold in Tokyo in 2021 while Funmi Oduwaiye will hope to challenge in the F64 women’s shot put (10:43). A throw around her season’s best of 11.82m could put the former basketball player in the medal mix and Anna Nicholson will be hoping for a first major medal in the F35 shot put (09:00), having smashed her PB earlier this summer.
Also in the field, Olivia Breen in the T38 long jump (09:04) and Sammi Kinghorn in the T53 400m (18:25) on the track will be aiming to add to their Paralympic medals.
Shooter Matt Skelhon won Paralympic gold on his debut in Beijing in 2008 and goes into the R6 mixed 50m rifle prone SH1 event as reigning world and European champion and will be aiming to hold all three titles at once (qualifying 08:30, final 10:45).
In the pool, Becky Redfern will be cheered on by four-year-old son Patrick as she hopes to make it third time lucky in the SB13 100m breaststroke (18:22) after silvers in Rio and Tokyo.
Powerlifters Olivia Broome and Mark Swan will be hoping for medals in the women’s -50kg (11:00) and men’s -65kg (17:35) events while the boccia team finals take place with GB hoping to figure in the BC1/2 team (16:00) and the BC3 mixed pairs (20:00) and the men’s basketball semi-finals will ensure plenty of excitement (15:00 and 20:30).
World watch
Sprinter Timothee Adolphe is one of the big home hopes for success at the Stade de France and he will be aiming to shine in the T11 100m final (18:08) for athletes with little or no vision.
As well as his athletics career, Adolphe is also a talented hip hop artist and was signed up by fashion house Louis Vuitton for a Games advertising campaign where he joined Olympic swimming star Leon Marchand.
In the pool, Germany’s Elena Semechin and American Ali Truwit will both be hoping to claim medals after challenging times.
Semechin won gold at Tokyo 2020 under her maiden name of Krawzow but months later was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. Now back to full fitness, she goes in the SB12 100m breaststroke (18:29).
Truwit could be a big challenger in the 400m S10 freestyle final (16:50) just over a year after losing her leg below the knee in a shark attack in the Caribbean.
Did you know?
Boccia is one of two Paralympic sports – along with goalball – which does not have an Olympic counterpart. Similar to petanque, it is played by athletes in wheelchairs who have an impairment that affects their motor function.
The name comes from the Italian word for ‘ball’ and the sport made its Paralympic debut in 1984 and is played by athletes from more than 70 countries.
Medal events: 57
Para-athletics (women’s T47 long jump, F12 shot put, T20 1500m, F38 discus, T64 100m, F46 javelin, T20 long jump; men’s F54 javelin, T20 1500m, T52 100m, T64 high jump, F37 discus, F57 shot put, T62 400m, T51 100m; mixed 4x100m universal relay); Para-cycling road (men’s C4-5 road race, B road race; women’s C4-5 road race, B road race); Para-equestrian (team test); Para-powerlifting (men’s up to 72kg, up to 80kg; women’s up to 61kg, up to 67kg); Wheelchair tennis (men’s doubles; women’s singles); Para-table Tennis (men’s MS1 singles, MS6 singles, MS7 singles; women’s WS1-2 singles, WS3 singles); Para-swimming (men’s S6 400m freestyle, S5 50m butterfly, S10 100m backstroke, S9 100m butterfly, S14 100m backstroke, S3 50m freestyle, S4 50m freestyle, S11 100m butterfly, S8 100m freestyle; women’s S6 400m freestyle, S5 50m butterfly, S10 100m backstroke, S9 100m butterfly, S14 100m backstroke, S4 50m freestyle); Wheelchair fencing (men’s epee A, epee B; women’s epee A, epee B); Sitting volleyball (men’s final); Para-judo (women’s -57kg J2, -70kg J1, -70kg J2; men’s -73kg J1, -73kg J2)
Highlights
Sarah Storey goes for another Paralympic gold as she bids to retain her title in the C4-5 road race (from 08:30) while Tokyo silver medallists Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl will aim to go one better in the Women’s B race with Archie Atkinson aiming for a medal in the men’s C4-5 event.
Jonathan Broom-Edwards bids to retain his T64 high jump title (10:45) while Hollie Arnold will be hoping to regain her T46 javelin crown (18:18) after finishing third in Tokyo before winning two world titles in 2023 and 2024.
Jeanette Chippington, the oldest member of the ParalympicsGB team in Paris aged 54, is among the GB Para-canoeists getting their campaigns under way – she goes in the heats of the VL2 (09:20) before the preliminaries of the KL1 (10:25).
GB will hope to continue their dominance in the Para-equestrian team test (from 08:30) having won every gold since it was introduced into the Games in 1996.
It could also be a big day in the wheelchair fencing at the Grand Palais with Piers Gilliver aiming to retain his epee A crown (19:50) and both Dimitri Coutya in the epee B (18:40) and Gemma Collis in the women’s epee A (20:25) also in good form.
Alfie Hewett has won everything in wheelchair tennis, apart from a Paralympic gold medal, and he and Gordon Reid will hope to figure in the men’s doubles decider (from 12:30) after winning silver in both Rio and Tokyo.
Table tennis player Will Bayley will hope to be involved in the MS7 singles final (18:15) and win again after Rio gold and Tokyo silver while Rio champion Rob Davies and Tokyo bronze medallist Tom Matthews could figure in the MS1 singles decider (13:00).
Poppy Maskill will be aiming for gold in the pool in the S14 100m backstroke (18:08). Bethany Firth won three golds in the event – one for Ireland in 2012 before switching nationalities and triumphing for GB in Rio and Tokyo but she will not be in Paris having recently given birth.
World watch
US sprinter Hunter Woodhall watched on proudly in Paris in August as his wife Tara Davis-Woodhall won Olympic long jump gold and he will hope to match her achievement in the T62 400m (18:33)
His Paralympic plans were hampered by a bout of Covid after the Olympics but Woodhall, who claimed bronze in the event in Tokyo, will be hoping to be fully fit.
Dutch wheelchair tennis star Diede de Groot will be favourite to retain her women’s singles title at Roland Garros (from 12:30) after a 2024 which has already yielded Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles.
And in the pool, Italy’s Simone Barlaam will be hoping for another successful night in the S9 100m butterfly (17:34) with Ireland’s Barry McClements bidding to figure.
Did you know?
Para-equestrian teams are made up three athletes, at least one of which must be a Grade I, II or III and no more than two athletes within a team may be the same grade.
Each combination rides the set test for their grade, which is scored as per the individual test – no scores are carried over from the previous test.
The scores of all three team members are combined to produce a team total, and the nation with the highest total takes gold.
In Grade I to III, athletes ride in smaller dressage arenas compared with Grade IV to V, and the difficulty of tests increases with the grade.
Grade I athletes perform tests at a walk, while Grades II and III can walk and trot. In Grades IV and V, they perform tests at a walk, trot, cantor and do lateral work.
Medal events: 75
Para-athletics (men’s T13 long jump, F34 shot put, T34 800m, T35 200m, T37 200m, T36 100m, F41 javelin, F33 shot put, T20 long jump, T38 1500m, T64 200m, F63 shot put, T47 400m; women’s F54 javelin, T13 400m, F40 shot put, T11 200m, T12 200m, T47 200m, T34 800m, T38 400m, T63 100m); Para-cycling road (women’s C1-3 road race, T1-2 road race; men’s C1-3 road race, T1-2 road race; mixed H1-5 team relay); Para-canoe (men’s KL1, KL2, KL3; women’s VL2, VL3); Para-equestrian (Grade I freestyle test, Grade II freestyle test, Grade III freestyle test, Grade IV freestyle test, Grade V freestyle test); Para-judo (men’s -90kg J1, -90kg J2, +90kg J1, +90kg J2, women’s +70kg J1, +70kg J2); Para-powerlifting (women’s up to 73kg, up to 79kg; men’s up to 88kg, up to 97kg); Wheelchair tennis (men’s singles); Para-swimming (men’s SM10 200m IM, S6 100m backstroke, S8 100m butterfly, S7 50m butterfly, S4 50m backstroke, S12 100m butterfly, S3 200m freestyle; women’s SM10 200m IM, S6 100m backstroke, S8 100m butterfly, S7 50m butterfly, S4 50m backstroke, S11 100m freestyle, SM5 200m IM; mixed 34 point 4x100m freestyle relay); Para-table tennis (men’s MS4 singles, MS8 singles, MS9 singles; women’s WS4 singles, WS6 singles, WS8 singles, WS9 singles); Wheelchair fencing (women’s epee team, men’s epee team); Wheelchair basketball (men’s final), Blind football (final), Sitting volleyball (women’s final)
Highlights
The final day of the track athletics programme should see two of Britain’s most successful and high-profile athletes in action.
Hannah Cockroft goes in as favourite for the T34 800m (19:20) – an event where she is two-time defending champion and unbeaten in the event at major championships since 2014.
Shot putter Aled Sion Davies took bronze in the event at London 2012 but is unbeaten ever since and goes into the F63 final (19:25) as number one in the world while Zak Skinner will hope to make up for fourth in Tokyo with a medal in the T13 long jump (09:00).
Tokyo gold medal-winning canoeist Emma Wiggs will be hoping to retain her VL2 title (10:52) while Charlotte Henshaw, who also won gold in Tokyo, and winter Paralympian Hope Gordon could be fighting it out in the VL3 event (11:36) – a new addition to the programme in Paris.
Britain’s three judoka will all be in action – Tokyo gold medallist Chris Skelley in the +90kg J2 division (final 17:13) after Dan Powell and Evan Molloy bid for glory in the -90kg J1 (14:32) and 90kg J2 (16:09) divisions.
Ben Watson and Fin Graham could fight it out again in the men’s C1-3 road race (from 08:30) after winning gold and silver in Tokyo while Daphne Schrager and Fran Brown go in the women’s race.
The Para-equestrian events conclude with the freestyle events (from 08:30) involving the top eight combinations in each grade from the individual tests earlier in the programme.
The final night of the swimming could see butterfly success for both Alice Tai in the women’s S8 100m event (17:07) and for Stephen Clegg in the men’s S12 100m (18:23) – the latter was edged out for gold in Tokyo by 0.06 seconds.
Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid will be hoping to figure in the men’s singles medal matches in the wheelchair tennis at Roland Garros (from 12:30) while at the Bercy Arena, the men’s wheelchair basketball programme comes to a climax (20:30).
World watch
American Ellie Marks was due to compete at the 2014 Invictus Games in London but instead a respiratory infection left her in a coma in Papworth Hospital in Cambridge.
She recovered and after winning four golds at the Invictus Games in 2016 presented one of the gold medals to the hospital staff who saved her life.
She made her Paralympic debut in Rio, winning breaststroke gold and in Tokyo claimed S6 backstroke gold and will aim to defend her title (16:53).
Italy will hope for another Para-athletics clean sweep in the T63 100m (20:22) where Ambra Sabatini, Martina Caironi and Monica Contrafatto finished in the medal positions in Tokyo and again at the 2023 and 2024 Worlds.
And at the Eiffel Tower Stadium, Brazil will be hoping to continue their dominance in the blind football tournament in the gold-medal match (19:00).
Did you know?
Blind football teams are made up of four outfield players and one goalkeeper, who is sighted.
Matches are divided into two 20-minute halves and played on a pitch measuring 40 metres x 20 metres with boards running down both sidelines to keep the ball, which has rattles built in so players can locate it, within the field of play.
In attack, the footballers are aided by a guide who stands behind the opposition goal.
Spectators are asked to stay silent during play and when players move towards an opponent, go in for a tackle or are searching for the ball, they say “voy” or a similar word.
Medal events: 14
Para-athletics (men’s T54 marathon, T12 marathon; women’s T54 marathon, T12 marathon); Para-canoe (women’s KL1, KL2, KL3; men’s VL2, VL3); Para-powerlifting (women’s up to 86kg, over 86kg; men’s up to 107kg, over 107kg); Wheelchair basketball (women’s final)
Highlights
On the final day, action returns to the streets of the French capital with the marathons (from 07:00) which will include a 185-metre climb and link Seine-Saint-Denis, the area at the heart of the Games, and central Paris.
As the race nears its end, the competitors will pass through Place de la Concorde, which hosted the opening ceremony, before heading up the Champs-Elysees and its cobbles to the Arc de Triomphe and the finish line at the Esplanade des Invalides, which was also the Olympic marathon finish.
Eden Rainbow-Cooper made a major breakthrough when she won the Boston Marathon in April and will hope to shine on the Paris streets along with David Weir who famously won in London but was fifth in Tokyo after failing to finish in Rio.
GB will be hoping for canoe success with defending KL2 champion Charlotte Henshaw and KL3 champion Laura Sugar both hoping to be on top of the podium again (10:41 and 11:07) and could model and Mr England winner Jack Eyers land a medal in the VL3 final (11:33)?
World watch
The final day of powerlifting sees the heavyweights take to the stage – the women’s up to 86kg (09:35) and over 86kg divisions (13:00) and the men’s up to 107kg (08:00) and over 107kg (14:35) – the final gold medal before the closing ceremony.
In the over 107kg division in Tokyo, Jordan’s Jamil Elshebli and Mansour Pourmirzaei of Iran both lifted 241kg – almost 38 stone in old money – with Elshebli winning gold on countback.
China’s Deng Xuemei lifted 153kg to take the women’s over 86kg and you can expect plenty of big lifts again this time around.
The women’s wheelchair basketball also takes centre stage with the Netherlands aiming to retain the title they won for the first time in Tokyo (final 12:45).
