On July 29, 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympic Games, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organized the first competition for wheelchair athletes, known as the Stoke Mandeville Games. This event, which marked a significant milestone in Paralympic history, featured 16 injured servicemen and women competing in archery. The Stoke Mandeville Games eventually evolved into the Paralympic Games, with the first official event taking place in Rome, Italy, in 1960, featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then, the Paralympic Games have been held every four years.
Since the 1988 Summer Games in Seoul and the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, the Paralympics have been hosted in the same cities and venues as the Olympics, displaying unity between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Paris and France are set to host their first-ever Paralympic Summer Games. Paris 2024 is aiming high by reimagining the Opening Ceremony, moving it beyond the traditional stadium setting. On the evening of August 28, the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées will serve as the stage for this groundbreaking event in the heart of Paris. The closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will conclude 12 days of events and celebrations. On September 8, the official handover from Paris to Los Angeles, the host city for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place, bringing a new chapter in the history of the Games to a close.
Judo at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
Date: September 5-7, 2024
Venue: Champ de Mars Arena
Divisions:
J1 – An athlete’s vision impairment must result in a visual acuity of less than
or equal to LogMAR 2.6 in binocular vision.
J2 – The athlete’s visual acuity must be within a range between LogMAR 1.3
and 2.5 with binocular vision, or with a binocular visual field of 60 degrees or
less in diameter.
Schedule:
Day 1, September 5: J1 -48kg, J2 -48kg, J1 -57kg, J1 -60kg, J2 -60kg
Day 2, September 6: J2 -57kg, J1 -70kg, J2 -70kg, J1 -73kg, J2 -73kg
Day 3, September 7: J1 +70kg, J2 +70kg, J1 -90kg, J2 -90kg, J1 +90kg, J2 +90kg
As the countdown to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games enters its final stages, we’ll be providing you with the ultimate guide on who to look out for amongst the top para judo competitors.
Join IBSA Judo Telegram channel by scanning the QR code and stay up to date with all the news.
Cover image: Agência Brasil Fotografias
Author: Szandra Szogedi