Tokyo Paralympics 2020: 10 Things to Know
With the Tokyo 2020 Olympics finally in full swing (albeit a year later than planned), we’re in full-on Olympics mode--and can’t wait for the Paralympic Games in just a few short weeks. Here are 5 things you need to know as we head into Paralympics season:
- The Dates: The Tokyo Paralympics will begin on Tuesday, August 24, 2021 and end on Sunday, September 5, 2021.
- Classification: According to the Olympics official site, The Paralympic Movement “offers sport opportunities for athletes with physical, vision and/or intellectual impairments that have at least one of the following 10 eligible impairments: Impaired muscle power, Impaired range of movement, Limb deficiency, Leg length difference, Short stature, Muscle tension, Uncoordinated movement, Involuntary movements, Vision impairment, Intellectual impairment.” As always, we are inspired by these athletes, and can’t wait to see them compete in the 2020 Paralympic Games.
- What Sports are Included: 22 sports will be included at the Tokyo Summer 2020 Paralympic Games, including Badminton and Taekwondo for the first time. Other sports include Archery, Athletics, Boccia, Canoe, Cycling, Equestrian, Football 5-a-side, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Rowing, Shooting Para Sport, Goalball, Judo, Powerlifting, Rowing, Shooting Para Sport, Sitting Volleyball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Fencing, Wheelchair Rugby, and Wheelchair Tennis.
- How to Watch: NBC, Peacock, and NBCOlympics.com
- Ones to Watch: There are SO many athletes we can’t wait to see compete, including Japan’s Shingo Kunieda, the first wheelchair tennis player to win back-to-back Paralympic men’s single gold medals at the Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics, German swimmers brothers Malte and Ole Braunschweig, and Hungary’s Wheelchair Fencer Eva Andreja Hajmasi.
Check back for more about the Paralympics in the coming weeks!
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