Paralympic Day in Paris to feature exciting sport programmes and 100 athletes

The Paris 2024 Organising Committee will hold the first-ever Paralympic Day in the French capital on 8 October, featuring sporting performances, demonstrations and introductions to over 15 Paralympic and Para sports disciplines, and a chance to meet over 100 athletes.

With two years to go until the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, Para athletes will share their passion for sports at the famous Place de Bastille, which has been transformed into a vast open-air playground for the occasion.

Sporting and festive programmes will take place between noon and 9 p.m.

Para sports take centre stage

Sporting displays will take centre stage, with a long jump track set up in front of the Opera Bastille.

Germany’s Markus Rehm, a Paralympic champion in long jump at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, will try to push his limits and replicate his world record of 8.62m. He will be joined by Greek long jumper Stelios Malakopoulos, who competes in the T62 category. 

Watching the spectacle will be France’s Arnaud Assoumani, a world record holder and multi-medallist in long jump and triple jump, as well as Marie-Amelie Le Fur, a Paralympic medallist in long jump at Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.

Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Amelie Oudea-Catsera, Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Genevieve Darrieussecq, Minister for the Disabled, and Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, will also be in attendance.

Try out Para sports

Demonstrations will take place all afternoon across three sports areas set up at the Place de la Bastille. In a dedicated zone, sports federations will also offer activities and introductions to more than a dozen Paralympic sports.

The sports are wheelchair basketball, boccia, blind football, wheelchair fencing, Para athletics, Para rowing, Para badminton, Para judo, Para table tennis, Para triathlon and sitting volleyball.

Visitors can also experience Para sports that are not part of the official Games programme, including wheelchair BMX, wheelchair handball, Para climbing and showdown.

Chance to meet Paralympic and Olympic athletes

Spectators will have the opportunity to meet more than 100 Paralympic and Olympic athletes. 

Paralympic champions present in the French capital will include Para judoka Sandrine Martinet, Para canoeist Nelia Barbosa, Para rower Perle Bouge, Para triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant and Para Nordic skier Benjamin Daviet.

Martin Fourcade (biathlon), Florent Manaudou (swimming) and Romain Cannone (fencing) will be among the Olympic athletes and Para sports fans taking part in Paralympic Day events.

Around the July column on the main stage, Maxine and Michael Jeremiasz, Paralympic wheelchair tennis champion and presenter of the day, will be joined by the athletes for Para sports shows.

Artus will perform some comedy sketches and Fauve Hautot and Sami El Gueddari will perform dance routines. Youssef Mecheri, also known as Bboy Haiper, and Samy Barkia, known as Bboy Caesar, will dazzle the crowd with a sensational breakdance show.

A fully accessible event in the heart of Paris

The event will be fully accessible, and the programmes will allow the greatest number of people, whether they have a disability or not, to enjoy the day.

The Paris 2024 partners will also be present on the day to offer more activities to visitors, including demonstrations, introductions, meetings, and wheelchair obstacle courses.