Wheelchair fencing star Yu shares her secret to success

Wheelchair fencing star Yu shares her secret to success

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50 Reasons why you can’t miss the Paris 2024 Paralympics

50 Reasons why you can’t miss the Paris 2024 Paralympics

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TOP STORIES

Game Changers: Trevor Hirschfield’s Unstoppable Journey in Wheelchair Rugby! 🏐🔥

Game Changers: Trevor Hirschfield’s Unstoppable Journey in Wheelchair Rugby! 🏐🔥

Follow along as four-time Paralympian Trevor Hirschfield talks about his journey from a life-changing injury to becoming a wheelchair rugby star. As he prepares for his fifth Games, discover how he started wheelchair rugby and what he enjoys the most about the sport.🌟🏐 The International Paralympic Committee's vision is to make for an inclusive world through Para sport. Our mission is to lead the Paralympic Movement, oversee the delivery of the Paralympic Games and support members to enable Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence.

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Two wheelchair fencers in action at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Paris 2024: Seven hours of daily training fuels Triantafyllou's fencing preparation

Seven hours of daily training fuels Triantafyllou's fencing preparation

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Two wheelchair fencers in action at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Paris 2024: Gang Sun on what it takes to become a wheelchair fencing champion

Gang Sun on what it takes to become a wheelchair fencing champion

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TO THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE Paris 2024 PARALYMPIC GAMES

28 Aug - 08 Sep 2024

TO THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE Milano Cortina 2026 PARALYMPIC GAMES

06 - 15 Mar 2026

TO THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE LA28 PARALYMPIC GAMES

15 - 27 Aug 2028
About the Paralympic Games

About the Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games are the largest global sporting event for athletes with disabilities and have taken place every four years since the inaugural edition in Rome, Italy, in 1960. In 1976, the first Winter Games were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden and featured 198 athletes from 16 countries.

Following the 1988 Games in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and the Winter Games in Albertville, France in 1992, the Paralympic and Olympic Games have been held in the same city. The next Paralympic Games will be held in Paris in 2024, followed by LA28 and Brisbane 2032. The next winter edition is Milano Cortina 2026.

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About the IPC

About the IPC

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. Founded on 22 September 1989 as a non-profit organisation, we aim to be athlete-centred and membership-focussed in all our endeavours.

Through partnerships with more than 200 member organisations, we leverage Para sport to advance the lives of the 1.2 billion individuals with disabilities across the globe.

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Paralympics history

Paralympics history

Sport for athletes with an impairment has existed for more than 100 years. It was not until after World War II, however, that it was widely introduced. The purpose of it at that time was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during wartime.

On 29 July 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organised a competition for wheelchair athletes at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. Sixteen injured servicemen and women took part in archery at the inaugural Stoke Mandeville Games, which later became the Paralympic Games.

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What is classification?

What is classification?

Classification is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement; it determines which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are grouped together for competition. In Para sports, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the impairment. This, to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight.

Classification aims to minimise the impact of the impairment on athletes' performance so that the sporting excellence determines which athlete or team is ultimately victorious. Ensuring that athletes are classified prior to competing is crucial to safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the competition.

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What are the Paralympic sports?

What are the Paralympic sports?

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recognises a total of 28 Paralympic sports. The 22 summer sports are Para archery, Para athletics, Para badminton, blind football, 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, and wheelchair tennis.

Winter sports include Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.

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Worldwide Paralympic Partners

INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS