Paralympics 2024 in pictures

Paris 2024 is the 17th edition of the Summer Paralympic Games.

It showcased Para-sport to the world in stunning style - both to viewers watching at home, and spectators in the stands who returned after the Covid-afflicted Tokyo 2020 took place without fans.

Opening Ceremony

The 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris - the first to ever be held in France - got under way in spectacular style.

Unlike the Olympics opening ceremony, which was held along the River Seine and at locations throughout the French capital, the Paralympics opener was a more traditional affair, in the open air at Place de la Concorde under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. And, also unlike the Olympic ceremony, it took place amid beautiful sunshine and scorching heat.

Day 1

Competition got under way with the first medals awarded in the track cycling. Netherland's Caroline Groot won the Games' first gold in the women's C4-5 500m time trial, while Daphne Schrager won GB's first medal - and received it at the velodrome from cinema legend Jackie Chan.

There was also a celebrity fan at the para-badminton, as former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp cheered on his friend Wojtek Czyz.

Day 2

The gold rush really began for ParalympicsGB on day two, with four gold medals in swimming and cycling.

Tully Kearney and Maisie Summers-Newton delivered in the pool, two of a record 1,983 females who competed at Paris 2024. Women made up 45% of participating athletes at these Paralympics, the highest proportion in Games history - beating the 42% share at Tokyo 2020.

Day 3

A sensational spell of three golds in 40-minutes in the pool saw GB continue to enjoy an impressive Games in the swimming, while Amy Truesdale and Matt Bush both won taekwondo gold in the sensational surroundings of Grand Palais.

The Paralympic medal table, however, continued to be led by China, who have finished top at every Games since 2004.

Day 4

Hannah Cockroft won her fourth successive women's T34 100m title to clinch GB's first para-athletics gold in Paris. There was also redemption for Kadeena Cox - after crashing in the final of her event on day one, she played a crucial role in GB winning the track cycling mixed team relay - the final medal on offer in the velodrome.

Day 5

Two archers have captured the attention of the world at Paris 2024 - Jodie Grinham and Tracy Otto.

Grinham competed at the Games while seven months pregnant, having not wanted to miss out as she had in Tokyo. Following a scare a couple of days prior in which she had to be admitted to hospital, Grinham returned to win gold alongside Natham MacQueen in the mixed team compound event on day five.

Otto and the USA were knocked out in round one of that competition, but her just being at the Games was remarkable - after being paralysed in a home invasion by her ex-boyfriend, Otto took up archery during her recovery and made it all the way to the Paralympics. While in Paris, she got engaged - then revealed she had also been competing while expecting a baby, due early next year.

Day 6

The Paris Paralympics saw events take place at some stunning locations - the equestrian at Parc de Versailles in the shadow of the palace; the blind football at the Eiffel Tower Stadium below the world-famous monument; the triathlon finishing on Pont Alexandre III and the taekwondo and wheelchair fencing at Grand Palais.

Day 7

Sarah Storey has competed at nine Paralympic Games stretching back to 1992 in Barcelona - long before some of her competitors were even born. At Paris 2024, the 46-year-old continued to win gold as she triumphed in the C4-5 women's time trial - her 18th Paralympic gold.

While Storey is a Paralympic veteran, some countries are just taking their first steps. Three nations – Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo – took part in their first Games at Paris 2024 among 168 different delegations, a new record.

By the time the 2024 Paralympics come to a close on Sunday, 549 events across 22 different sports will have been contended - the concluding event being the men's over-107kg powerlifting at La Chapelle Arena. Some 235 of those events will have been contested by women, a new Games record.

Even more events will be contested at the next Games in Los Angeles in 2028, when para-climbing joins the Paralympic roster.

Credits

Written by Emma Smith
Subbed by Melissa Coombs
Design by Andy Dicks
Images by Getty