Paris 2024: Ones to Watch for Para athletics
The ten names you should be looking out for in Para athletics when the next Paralympics kick off in France this summer 08 Mar 2024
With the countdown to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games well and truly in the final stages, our Sport Weeks provide you with the perfect guide to each of the competitions being contested in France.
To round off this week, here are the key Para athletes to keep an eye on in Para athletics this summer.
Timothee Adolphe (France)
The silver medallist in the men’s 100m T11 from Tokyo 2020 is aiming for a first Paralympic gold at his home Games in Paris. The six-time Worlds medallist is also a part-time rapper who released his first hip-hop EP in 2020 and counts superstars Ne-Yo and Drake among his musical inspirations.
Noemi Alphonse (Mauritius)
A rising star of the women’s T54 division, she was the first Mauritian to compete in a Paralympic final, finishing fifth (100m), sixth (400m) and tenth (1500m) at Tokyo 2020. She progressed to the podium at the 2023 Worlds, claiming both silver and bronze in Paris, as well as setting four new African records.
Sumit Antil (India)
One of the biggest names in Indian Para sport, Antil is the reigning Paralympic and world champion in the men's javelin F64. He also holds the world record distance, throwing 73.29 metres at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games.
Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland)
The five-time world champion is the reigning Paralympic champion in the women’s 400m T53. She was crowned Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in 2023 after winning back-to-back Marathon Majors and setting four wheelchair racing world records in 2022.
Petrucio Ferreira (Brazil)
The reigning 100m T47 Paralympic and world champion set a Championship record of 10.37 on the way to retaining his world title at Paris 2023 and is one of the icons of Para sprinting. The Brazilian has five Paralympic medals to his name, including two golds.
Ezra Frech (USA)
The American teenage sensation has made a seamless transition to senior competition, setting a new men’s high jump T63 world record of 1.95m on his way to winning gold at the Paris 2023 World Championships. The double Parapan Am silver medallist and former junior world champion finished fifth in his Games debut in Tokyo and is one of the favourites to medal in Paris.
Daiki Ishiyama (Japan)
The Japanese Para athlete also competes in both track and field events. He finished fourth in the Long Jump T12 on his World Championships debut at Paris 2023 to earn a Paralympic quota place for Japan, following that up with bronze in the 100m T12 at the 2023 Asian Para Games.
Fleur Jong (Netherlands)
Jong is a medal favourite in both track and field disciplines, having set new world records in the women’s 100m T62 and long jump T62 in 2023. She returns to Paris for Games as the reigning Paralympic champion in the women’s Long Jump T64.
Vanessa Low (Australia)
The veteran Para athlete and reigning women’s long jump T63 champion is aiming to continue her glittering career with a fourth Paralympic Games appearance. The six-time world and three-time Paralympic medallist returned to competition at the Paris 2023 Worlds after giving birth to son Matteo in 2022.
Lauritta Onye (Nigeria)
The multi-talented Nigerian, who is also an actress, is the former world record holder in the women’s shot put F40 and the first athlete in her class to throw over eight metres. She has medalled at every Worlds and Paralympics she has competed in, including golds at Doha 2015 and Rio 2016.
