At the Paralympic Games, the sports we know from the Olympics are adapted for the athletes. These sports have been transformed to make them accessible to people with physical, visual or intellectual disabilities.
These sports include athletics, cycling, fencing, equestrianism, judo, swimming, tennis and many others! Are you curious to find out more? Then take a look at the list we’ve put together of all the Paralympic sports!
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All Paralympic sports: complete list
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Wheelchair basketball
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Bocce
- Canoeing
- Cycling
- Wheelchair curling
- Wheelchair fencing
- Alpine skiing
- Cross-country skiing
- Five-a-side soccer
- Golbol
- Equestrianism
- Judo
- Sled field hockey
- Weightlifting
- Swimming
- Rowing
- Wheelchair rugby
- Snowboarding
- Taekwondo
- Wheelchair tennis
- Table tennis
- Shooting
- Archery
- Triathlon
- Sitting volleyball
All the Paralympic sports: get to know them!
Athletics
In the list of all the Paralympic sports, athletics could not be missing. Athletics has events designed for each type of disability. The sport can be practiced in a wheelchair, with the use of prostheses or even with a guide.
Athletics is also contested in different classes and can take place on the track, field and street.
Badminton
Badminton, which consists of throwing shuttlecocks with a racket, can be practiced by both the physically and visually impaired. The rules are the same as for traditional sports.
Wheelchair basketball
In wheelchair basketball, a sport played by disabled people, the height of the basket and the size of the court are the same as in traditional basketball.
Biathlon
Biathlon is a sport competed in by the physically and visually impaired, with three categories. Athletes compete in cross-country skiing and shooting.
Bobsleigh
Bobsleigh is a sport practiced by people with physical disabilities. At the Paralympic Games it is only competed in the monobob discipline, which consists of just one person on the sled.
Bocce
Boccia, which is included in the list of all Paralympic sports, is a sport practiced by athletes with cerebral palsy or disabled people who use wheelchairs.
Canoeing
Among all the Paralympic sports, canoeing is a discipline competed in by athletes with physical or intellectual disabilities.
Cycling
In cycling, visually or physically impaired people compete. Athletes can use bicycles or even tricycles, tandems (for two people) and handbikes.
Wheelchair curling
Wheelchair curling is a Paralympic sport practiced by people with physical disabilities of the lower limbs. The only difference from the traditional sport is that there is no sweeping.
Wheelchair fencing
The name is self-explanatory: Paralympic fencing is practiced by people with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs.
Alpine skiing
In alpine skiing, athletes with amputees, paraplegics, visual impairments or cerebral palsy compete in different categories. To be fair, there is a system that calculates points based on degrees of disability.
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a sport also competed in by the visually and physically impaired. In this sport, athletes ski downhill on ice and, if necessary, a wheelchair is adapted on top of the skis.
Five-a-side soccer
In five-a-side soccer, visually impaired people can play soccer. In the teams, only the goalkeeper can see.
Golbol
Golbol is on the list of all Paralympic sports, but it is not an adaptation. It was created for the visually impaired and is played in teams of three. The ball has an internal rattle so that it can be heard.
Equestrianism
Equestrian is a Paralympic sport that can be practiced by people with physical or visual disabilities. The competition is mixed between men and women, with categories for each functional profile.
Judo
Paralympic judo is practiced by visually impaired athletes, with divisions into weight categories. It is practiced by both men and women.
Sled Hockey
This sport, which is included in the list of all Paralympic sports, is a Paralympic version of ice hockey and is only practiced by those with lower limb disabilities.
Weightlifting
In the Paralympic version of weightlifting, athletes with paraplegia, cerebral palsy and lower limb amputation take part.
Swimming
Paralympic swimming can also be competed in by people with physical or visual disabilities. In the sport, several categories are defined by class and levels of disability, making the competition fair for all athletes.
Rowing
In rowing, athletes with physical disabilities participate using adapted equipment to make the most of the sport.
Wheelchair rugby
In wheelchair rugby, athletes with quadriplegia compete. The aim is to get over the goal line with a wheelchair and the ball in their hands.
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is part of the Winter Paralympic Games and is an adapted version for disabled people, divided into upper and lower limb groups.
Taekwondo
Paralympic taekwondo can be practiced by people who are visually impaired or who have a locomotor disability, from amputees to athletes with cerebral palsy.
Wheelchair tennis
In wheelchair tennis, athletes who have some kind of physical disability in at least one lower limb can compete. However, there is a category called quad, for people with disabilities in three or four limbs.
Table tennis
In paralympic table tennis, there are two categories: standing and wheelchair. Athletes with amputees, paraplegics or cerebral palsy can compete.
Shooting
Paralympic shooting is a sport practiced by disabled people in the wheelchair and standing categories.
Archery
Archery, which is also on the list of all Paralympic sports, is practiced by athletes with cerebral palsy or amputees. The sport is divided into different functional classes, with individual or team competitions, whether standing or in a wheelchair.
Triathlon
Triathlon is a Paralympic sport practiced by people with physical disabilities in different categories.
Sitting volleyball
Sitting volleyball is played by athletes with some kind of physical disability, in teams of six. The court is smaller and, consequently, the sport is more dynamic.
This is the list of all the sports at the Paralympics, which will take place in Paris in 2024. The Paralympic Games take place right after the Olympics, demonstrating the importance of accessibility.
Now that you’re up to date with the list of all the Paralympic sports, stay tuned for more articles on the Paralympic Games, the Olympics and other disciplines.
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