For visually impaired parathletes, sound and touch guide their passions
McClain Hermes knows precisely what it takes to swim, as fast as possible, to the far end of a 50-meter pool. Keeping count is vital because she is blind.
“I have broken several bones running into the wall,” she says. “I’ve broken my fingers multiple times and broken my nose multiple times. I’ve gotten several concussions.”
Some of the athletes at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will wear prosthetics, others will be in wheelchairs. Those who are visually impaired will face a different sort of challenge.
Swimmers will charge toward an unseen wall. Long jumpers will sprint down a narrow runway, aiming for the sound of a voice or clapping. Soccer players will continually yell “Voy” — I’m coming — so they don’t smack into each other.
What to watch as the Paralympic Games featuring 4,400 athletes open in Paris
PARIS — Let the games begin again.
The Paralympic Games are set to open Wednesday as some 4,400 athletes with disabilities, permanent injuries or impairments prepare to compete for 549 medals across 22 sports over 11 days in Paris.
The French capital, which just hosted the Olympics, again provides the backdrop for what promises to be another spectacle, with many of the same venues hosting Paralympic competitions.
Historic square Place de la Concorde, which hosted skateboarding, breaking and 3x3 basketball during the Olympics, will host the opening ceremony.
What sports are in the Paralympics and how does the classification system work?
PARIS — Being the follow-up act to the Paris Olympics is no easy task, but the Paralympic Games that begin Wednesday promise to offer up their own fair share of memorable sporting moments.
This is an event that highlights the human ability to overcome hardships and disabilities, so the word “insurmountable” isn’t one you’re likely to hear in Paris over the next two weeks as around 4,400 athletes with a wide range of life-impacting impairments compete for medals in 549 events across 22 sports.
Here’s a look at some of the other events that athletes will be competing in at the Paralympics and how competitors are categorized based on their disability or impairment.
Which sports are in the Paralympics?
Of the 22 Paralympic sports, only two do not have an Olympic equivalent — goalball and boccia.
Goalball is played on an indoor court the size of a volleyball court with goals set up at each end. Teams of visually impaired or blind players (wearing eyeshades to ensure fairness) take turns rolling a ball containing bells toward the opposing goal while the defending team’s players act as goalkeepers.
In boccia, players throw or roll leather balls as close as they can to a small ball called a jack.
Who can qualify to compete at the Paralympics?
To compete at the Paralympics, athletes must have “an underlying health condition that leads to a permanent eligible impairment,” the International Paralympic Committee says.
Impairments can be caused by the likes of cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, amputations, physical injuries or an intellectual impairment, blindness or reduced sight.
How are athletes classified?
To ensure fair competition between Paralympians, athletes are grouped by how limited they are by their impairment — in other words, how much of an effect it has on their ability to compete in their chosen sport.
The classifications aim to ensure that every competitor has a fair chance to win and that “sporting excellence determines which athlete or team is ultimately victorious,” the International Paralympic Committee says.
Assessment and sports classes
All Paralympians undergo an assessment by a panel of experts to determine which sports class they should compete in based on the degree and nature of their impairment. Each sport has its own criteria for how to assess the eligibility of competitors. Some, like para powerlifting, only have one sports class. Para athletics, which is open to athletes with any impairment, has more than 50 sports classes.
The classification system focuses on grouping together athletes with similar functional abilities rather than similar disabilities, so athletes with different impairments can compete against each other if they are allocated to the same sports class.
How to watch and stream the Paris Paralympics
The 2024 Paris Paralympics are set to begin Wednesday, with the opening ceremony scheduled for 11 a.m. PDT. The first events for the Games will begin late Wednesday night PDT (Thursday morning in Paris).
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Paralympics:
Opening ceremony: NBCUniversal’s coverage of the Paris Paralympics opening ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. PDT Wednesday on USA Network, an hour before the scheduled start.
How to watch the events: USA Network will provide at least nine hours of coverage every day from Aug. 29-Sept. 8. Every event will be streamed live on Peacock and on NBCParalympics.com and the NBC Sports app (iOS, Android).
NBC and CNBC will also have coverage at select times throughout the Games.
For a full rundown of the TV and streaming schedule, check out the NBC Olympics site.