Paris 2024: Day one preview, schedule and ones to watch!

Paris La Defense Arena will host 15 medal events on Thursday, when the Para swimming competition gets underway at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

During the Olympic Games, 35 gold medals were awarded in the swimming competition, but that number will soar to 141 during 10 days of Paralympic racing in front of capacity crowds of around 15,000 at La Defense.

The first Paris 2024 champion will be crowned in the men’s 400m freestyle S9, kicking off at 5:30PM local time. 

Italian star Simone Barlaam is the world champion in the event but had to settle for sixth place three years ago at the Tokyo Games. Barlaam will be keen to visit the podium in his opening race in a city that is very special for him.

“As a kid, I had most of my surgeries and appeared in hospitals here [in Paris], so I am very close to the city, and I'm really grateful for what the French people did for me,” the Italian said. “Also, it is not far at all from home so I will have my family and friends coming from Milano.”

Second place in Tokyo and at the Worlds in Manchester last year, behind Barlaam, Ugo Didier will have the support of the French crowd that created a fantastic atmosphere at La Defense Arena in the Olympics. 

To give the host nation its first medal in the pool he will face some strong competition from Australian duo Brenden Hall and Timothy Hodge. Fourth place in Tokyo, Hall is the Rio 2016 champion and world record holder, as his 4:09.93 is still standing since the Montreal 2013 World Championships.

The name to beat in the women’s 400m freestyle S9 also comes from Australia. Lakeisha Patterson is the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics and Manchester 2023 Worlds gold medallist.

France's favourite

French fans hoping to see a swimming sensation in the Paralympics will also be watching Alex Portal who will swim the men’s 100m butterfly S13 on day one.

Like French star Leon Marchand, who won four Olympic gold medals, Portal is 22 years old, a reigning world champion, and will contest four individual events at the Paralympic Games.

Unlike his Olympic counterpart, Portal did stand on the podium at Tokyo 2020, where he claimed silver and bronze medals, before winning his maiden world championship title in 2022 in Madeira, Portugal. 

“Having already had Paralympic experience is a real plus,” Portal, a 50m specialist, said. “I know I can handle the pressure and my results in major championships give me confidence.”

He is joined in the French team by younger brother Kylian Portal, who will make his Paris debut on Saturday (day three).

Portal’s main rival in the men’s 100m butterfly S13 will be neutral athlete Ihar Boki, the world record holder (53.72 from the Madeira 2020 European Open Championships).

One of Brazil’s latest Para swimming stars, Gabriel Araujo was one of his country’s flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday and will be in the pool a few hours later in the men’s 100m backstroke S2.

A two-time world champion in the event, he will be aiming to change the colour of his Tokyo 2020 medal when he finished with silver behind Chile’s Alberto Abarza – another name to watch on day one.

“There are great Brazilian athletes on the team and I’m very pleased to have been given this opportunity to be able to represent Brazil in the best possible way, both in the Opening Ceremony and in the pool,” Araujo said.

Singapore’s Yip Pin Xiu is the defending Paralympic and world champion in the women’s 100m backstroke S2.

Right after her race, another Brazilian swimmer named Gabriel will also be defending his Tokyo 2020 title. Gabriel Bandeira comes to Paris as the Paralympic and Worlds gold medallist in the men’s 100m butterfly S14.

Hong Kong’s Yui Lam Chan left Tokyo 2020 empty-handed but since then became the world champion in the women’s 100m butterfly S14. Her main rival is set to be neutral athlete Valeriia Shabalina, the defending Paralympic champion.

Ukraine’s Anna Hontar set a new world record in the women’s 50m freestyle S6 en route to gold at last year’s World Championships in Manchester. She has a Paralympic bronze in the same event and will be eyeing her first gold medal in the Games on Thursday. 

Defending champions

Australia’s Rowan Crothers will be keen to extend his domination in the men’s 50m freestyle S10 as he has not lost a major final in the race since the 2019 Worlds in London. The race will also see an athlete that made his Paralympic debut 16 years ago, Brazil’s eight-time Paralympic medallist Phelipe Rodrigues.

“I thought I was finished after Tokyo,” Rodrigues said. “I have been on a real journey with my mental health since then. Every beginning has an end though, and I’m grateful to have this opportunity to be a role model at my fifth Paralympic Games.”

Poland’s Kamil Otowski is the current men’s 100m backstroke S1 but still eyeing his elusive Paralympic medal. Italy’s Francisco Bettella has visited the podium four times in Paralympic Games (twice in the 100m backstroke) but still in search for his first gold.

South Korea’s Jo Giseong is another Manchester 2023 world champion (men’s 50m breaststroke SB3) hoping for his first medal in the race following a sixth place in the last Games. Madeira 2022 world champion Efrem Morelli of Italy is another one to watch.

Canada’s Paralympic legend Aurelie Rivard will be searching for a sixth gold when she goes to the pool in the women’s 50m freestyle S10 final. She is also the world record holder with the 27.37 that took her to the top of the podium at Rio 2016.

Another race with a strong favourite to gold is the women’s 100m butterfly S13 in which Italy’s Carlotta Gilli has won two world titles since her gold at Tokyo 2020.

The strong Italian team will be hoping for back-to-back golds as Paralympic and world champion Francisco Bocciardo will be racing in the men’s 200m freestyle S5. 

The women’s 200m freestyle S5 will wrap up Thursday’s action at La Defense. Italy will have another shot to gold with world champion Monica Boggioni, who finished third in Tokyo.

The complete day one schedule can be found here below.

Day one 

Session 1 (Heats)
9:30-11:52
9:30    Men's 400m Freestyle - S9 Heats
9:44    Women's 400m Freestyle - S9 Heats
9:59    Men's 100m Backstroke - S2 Heats
10:13    Women's 100m Backstroke - S2 Heats
10:28    Men's 100m Butterfly - S14 Heats
10:35    Women's 100m Butterfly - S14 Heats
10:43    Women's 50m Freestyle - S6 Heats
10:51    Men's 50m Freestyle - S10 Heats
10:57    Women's 50m Freestyle - S10 Heats
11:03    Men's 100m Butterfly - S13 Heats
11:11    Women's 100m Butterfly - S13 Heats
11:19    Men's 200m Freestyle - S5 Heats
11:31    Women's 200m Freestyle - S5 Heats

Session 2 (Finals)
17:30-21:28
17:30    Men's 400m Freestyle - S9 Final
17:40    Women's 400m Freestyle - S9 Final
17:50    Men's 100m Backstroke - S1 Final
18:00    Men's 100m Backstroke - S2 Final
18:10    Women's 100m Backstroke - S2 Final
18:36    Men's 100m Butterfly - S14 Final
18:42    Women's 100m Butterfly - S14 Final
19:12    Men's 50m Breaststroke - SB3 Final
19:19    Women's 50m Freestyle - S6 Final
19:41    Men's 50m Freestyle - S10 Final
19:47    Women's 50m Freestyle - S10 Final
20:09    Men's 100m Butterfly - S13 Final
20:15    Women's 100m Butterfly - S13 Final
20:38    Men's 200m Freestyle - S5 Final
20:46    Women's 200m Freestyle - S5 Final