We answer some of the key questions ahead of the Paralympic Games.
When are the Paralympics?
The Games begin on Wednesday, August 28 with the opening ceremony. The final day will be Sunday, September 8 when, in addition to the closing ceremony, there will be medal events in wheelchair basketball, powerlifting and Paracanoe, plus the marathons.
What are Britain’s expectations at the Games?
UK Sport has set a target of 100 to 140 medals. ParalympicsGB finished second behind China in the medal table in Tokyo with 124: 41 gold, 38 silver and 45 bronze. No strict targets were set for that Games because of the impact of the Covid pandemic, although it was hoped British athletes would claim between 100 and 140.
Who are Britain’s best gold medal bets?
Cyclist Dame Sarah Storey, wheelchair racer Hannah Cockroft and table tennis player Will Bayley are among the many returning stars with sights set on gold. Debutants Lizzi Jordan (cycling) and Jack Eyers (Paracanoe) will also hope to be in contention for honours, while Dave Ellis (triathlon) and Alfie Hewett (wheelchair tennis) could end their respective waits to top the podium.
How many sports are involved?
Following the opening ceremony, the Games will feature 549 events across 22 sports during the subsequent 11 days. Britain has competitors in 19 of the 22 sports. Blind football, goalball and sitting volleyball are the exceptions.
Any new sports?
Not on this occasion. There are no additions to the 22 sports which featured at Tokyo 2020. However, the badminton and taekwondo programmes have been expanded and there are also a record number of medal events for women.
Do all of the sports have an Olympic counterpart?
No. Boccia – a strategy game with similarities to bowls, boules and petanque – and goalball – a team game for visually-impaired competitors – are the two exceptions.
How does classification work?
Denoted by a series of letters and numbers, it is sport-specific. The key thing to note is athletes with the greatest degree of impairment have the lowest number associated with them. The letters which precede the numbers simply refer to different disciplines. For example, in athletics ‘T’ denotes track, ‘F’ means field.
Why is there no mention of the Olympic rings or ‘TeamGB’?
Because both of those things are specific to the Olympics. The Paralympic equivalent to the five rings is the three agitos: crescent shapes in red, blue and green. Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s Paralympic athletes are known collectively as ParalympicsGB.
How can I watch the Paralympics?
Channel 4 will show the Games in the United Kingdom.
