The 2024 Summer Paralympics have officially closed after almost two weeks of intense sporting competition.
The Games of the 17th Paralympiad featured 4,463 athletes from 170 countries competing across 22 sports.
Australia in the Paralympics
Australia’s Closing Ceremony flag bearers were double gold medallists Lauren Parker, who won in triathlon and road cycling, and James Turner, who won in the 100m and 400m races. Parker was the first Australian since 1968 to win gold in two different sports at the same Games.
In the all-important medal tally Australia finished ninth, taking home 18 gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze for a total of 63 medals. China topped the table with 94 gold and a total of 220 medals overall. The host nation was eighth in the tally with 19 gold and 75 medals in total.
According to Paralympics Australia, our athletes won medals in nine of the 17 sports they contested.
Along with James Turner and Lauren Parker, four other athletes also won a double gold: Alexa Leary, Callum Simpson and Tim Hodge in swimming. Along with Lauren Parker, these three swimmers also won a silver medal each. Qian Yang took home two golds in table tennis.
Elsewhere, all three members of Australia’s canoe team won medals, while our largest hauls were in cycling and athletics.
But it’s not just about medals! Several Australian para-swimmers set Paralympic or world records in the pool. Meanwhile, Emily Petricola set a world record in the C4 3000m individual cycling pursuit.
Visit the Paralympics Australia website for a full list of highlights.
The Games as a force for inclusion
President of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons spoke about the importance of inclusion at the Closing Ceremony of the Games.
“Beyond 12 days of sport, we must break down the barriers that exist in society,” he said.
“What a Paralympic legacy this would be, not just for these athletes, but the world’s 1.3 billion persons with disabilities that they represent.”
The next Paralympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. Read our recap of the first week of the 2024 Paralympics here.
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