The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has unveiled the roster for the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team, showcasing a balanced squad of 110 men and 110 women athletes, accompanied by five guides. This announcement was made prior to the historic Opening Ceremony, which will take place on the iconic Champs-Élysées and at the Place de la Concorde. Notably, this will be the first Paralympic Opening Ceremony held outside of a traditional stadium setting.
The Paralympic Games are set to unfold from August 29 to September 8, featuring a total of 549 medal events across 22 different sports. The competitions will take place at some of Paris’s most renowned landmarks, including the Grand Palais for wheelchair fencing and taekwondo, the Champ de Mars Arena for judo and wheelchair rugby, the Esplanade des Invalides for archery, a stadium adjacent to the Eiffel Tower for blind soccer, the Château de Versailles for equestrian events, and Roland Garros for wheelchair tennis.
Among the standout athletes on the U.S. team is Jessica Long, a renowned swimmer who will be competing in her sixth Paralympics. With 29 Paralympic medals to her name, including 16 golds, Long is the second most decorated American Paralympian, trailing only behind Trischa Zorn. Long’s Paralympic journey began in 2004 when she was just 12 years old.
Three U.S. athletes are set to make their seventh Paralympic appearance: Oksana Masters, Tatyana McFadden, and Tahl Leibovitz. Masters, at 35, has participated in every Summer and Winter Games since her debut in 2012 and set a U.S. record for career Winter Paralympic medals with her 14th in 2022. McFadden, also 35, is celebrated for her 24 World Marathon Major victories and 20 Paralympic medals, including 19 in track and field. Leibovitz, at 49, made his debut in 1996 and won gold in table tennis.
The U.S. team also includes reigning champions in team sports: men’s wheelchair basketball and women’s sitting volleyball. At the Tokyo Games, the U.S. finished with the fourth-highest total medal count (104) and the third-most gold medals (37), while China led the standings in both categories for the fifth consecutive Summer Games.
Stay tuned as the 2024 Paralympic Games approach, promising to be a spectacular display of athletic excellence and historic moments.