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Watch for these 3 things at the 2024 Paralympics [1]

['Lauren Monsen']

Date: 2024-09-04 20:02:00+00:00

The 2024 Paralympic Games opening ceremony illuminated Paris landmarks in a celebration of athletes who encourage others to dream big and develop their potential.

With 2 million tickets sold and 4,000 athletes competing in 22 sports, the Paralympics, held in Paris August 28 through September 8, will offer plenty for spectators — at least some of whom will watch in silence. To learn the reason why and a few other interesting facts about the Paralympics, read on:

Fans of blind football watch in silence

Fans at Paralympic blind football matches applaud only when a player scores. During the rest of the match, the audience keeps quiet so players can hear the ring of the ball.

Blind football and goalball both use a ball filled with bells or rattles to guide visually impaired players. Blind football matches pit five-player teams against each other. While the goalkeeper may have partial or full vision, the other players must be nearly or completely blind.

Jade Sidot, a French fan, told the Associated Press that keeping quiet helps her focus on the game. “Even though we have to stay silent, I can feel that people are still really excited to be here,” she said.

Fencers’ wheelchairs can’t move

The Paralympics have featured wheelchair fencing since the first Games in Rome in 1960. With wheelchairs fastened to the floor, fencers use their upper bodies to attack and defend. Fencers hold their sword — an épée, foil or sabre — in one hand, while using the other hand to stabilize their wheelchair as they lunge and recover.

“We’re using our body and our arms to move, not our legs, and this creates a very different dynamic from fencing,” U.S. wheelchair fencer Victoria Isaacson told the USA Fencing podcast. “We are still kind of the same sport but the technical skills, the timing and the distance is so different.”

The first player to score 15 points without their feet leaving the chair during the 3-minute match wins.

U.S. Paralympic medalists receive equal pay

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee awards U.S. Paralympic medalists the same cash prizes as their Olympic counterparts. While pay parity among U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes has existed since the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, the 2024 awards are larger than those for previous years.

U.S. athletes earn $37,500 for gold medals, $22,500 for silver medals and $15,000 for bronze medals. Paralympians also may receive private-sector sponsorships. Other governments also reward their medal-winning athletes with cash prizes or gifts.

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[1] Url: https://share.america.gov/watch-for-these-3-things-at-2024-paralympics/?utm_source=homepage&utm_medium=news_bar&utm_campaign=paralympics

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