Sarah Storey, 28x Paralympic medalist, courtesy of The Independent
Beginning in 1960 and regularly occurring right after the Olympics since 1988, the Paralympics gives international recognition to athletes with disabilities, creating accessibility within the world of sports.
The 2024 Paralympics begin August 28, and will have events streaming across NBC, CNBC, and USA Network. Like the 2024 Olympics, all events across the 22 sports will also be available live and for replay on Peacock.
The Paralympics deserve to be given the same attention and excitement as the Olympics. As I previously wrote an article on must-see women in the Olympics, I want to bring that same energy to the Paralympics. So, here are must-see women in the Paralympics!
Archery
Sheetal Devi of India, the first armless woman archer to win a world medal in 2023 in the compound open category, will look to win her first Paralympic medal at 17. She is ranked #1 in the world. Ranked second in the world, the world record holder in the women’s compound open category, Jane Karla Gögel of Brazil, is looking to win her first Paralympic medal. Mariana Zúñiga, the reigning silver medalist in the individual compound W2, became the first Paralympic archer for Chile in 2020. She will be competing in her second Games.
Athletics
Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland is the reigning Paralympic champion in the 400m T53. She also set multiple wheelchair racing world records in 2022. Noemi Alphonse, one of four athletes representing Mauritius at the 2024 Paralympics, became the first Mauritian athlete to advance to a Paralympic final in 2020, and will look to be the first to win a medal as she competes in the 100m T54. Martina Caironi, a five-time Paralympic medalist in the 100m T63, will be competing in her fourth Paralympic Games for Italy. Competing in her fifth Paralympics, Cuba’s Omara Durand has won eight gold medals across sprinting events and is expected to win more. Lauritta Onye of Nigeria, a shot putter who won the gold in 2016 and bronze in 2020, will look to win another Paralympic medal. Fleur Jong, an athlete from the Netherlands competing in both the 100m T62 and long jump T62, gets the chance to defend her gold medal in the long jump.
Badminton
Man-Kei To of Belgium, ranked second in the world and a silver medalist for women’s doubles in the 2020 Paralympics, will be a favorite to medal. Syakuroh Qonitah of Indonesia, ranked #1 in the world in the women’s singles SL3, will be competing in her first Paralympics. Qonitah’s teammate, Leani Ratri Oktila, won two golds and a silver in 2020, and hopes to win gold this year in the singles SL4.
Boccia
Andreza Vitória Oliveira of Brazil, ranked first in the world in her category, has Parapan American and world gold medals, and will be a favorite to add a Paralympic gold to her collection. Sonia Heckel, ranked second in the world in the BC3, will look to win a Paralympic medal in her home country.
Canoeing
Great Britain’s Charlotte Henshaw, the reigning gold medalist in KL2, has won every world title since 2018, and is expected to continue her streak. Henshaw will have competition with her teammate, Emma Wiggs, who won gold in the event in 2016, and silver behind Henshaw in 2020.
Cycling
Sarah Storey is one of the most decorated Paralympic athletes of all time, with 23 total medals between swimming and cycling. In her ninth Paralympics, Storey will look to continue her gold medal streak in cycling, going back to 2008. Oksana Masters of Team USA has Paralympic gold medals in skiing, and is now looking to add her second Summer Paralympics gold medal in cycling.
Equestrian
Roxanne Trunnell, heading to her third Paralympics, won three medals in 2020. The American is looking to defend her Paralympic titles in the individual championship test grade I and individual freestyle test grade I.
Goalball
Turkey won gold in goalball the past two Paralympics, and is looking for its third straight. The team is led by Sevda Altunoluk, the top scorer in the 2020 Paralympics.
Judo
Sandrine Aurières-Martinet has multiple Paralympic medals in the 48 kg class, including a gold in 2016 and silver at the last Games. She will look to replicate her 2016 success in her home country. Alana Maldonado of Brazil will be competing in her third Paralympics. She will get to defend her title in the 70 kg class.
Powerlifting
Mariana D’Andrea, the first Paralympic powerlifting gold medalist from Brazil, will get the chance to defend her gold in the 73 kg class. Souhad Ghazouani, also competing in the 73 kg class, has won a medal in each of the five Paralympic Games she’s participated in, including a gold in 2012. Ghazouani will look to win another medal in front of the home crowd.
Rowing
Birgit Skarstein of Norway has European, world, and Paralympic titles to her name. Her trip to Paris, where she gets to defend her title in the PR1 single sculls, will give her more content to include in her autobiography that is in progress.
Shooting
In 2020, Avani Lekhara became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the Paralympics. She will be competing again in the R2 10m air rifle standing SH1 with the chance to win another gold. Slovakia’s Veronika Vadovičová is heading to her seventh Paralympics, looking to add a fourth gold medal.
Sitting Volleyball
The USA has won the gold in sitting volleyball the past two Paralympics and will look to three-peat. 11 of the 12 team members have already won Paralympic gold, while libero Sydney Satchell will make her Paralympic debut.
Swimming
Team USA’s Jessica Long is one of the most decorated Paralympians, with 29 medals, 16 of them gold, and looks to add more in her sixth Paralympics. Yip Pin Xiu of Singapore has won six Paralympic medals, five of them gold, and will have the chance to add more as she competes in the 100m freestyle S3, 100m backstroke S2, and 50m backstroke S2. Elena Krawzow of Germany is the world record holder in the 100m breaststroke SB12 and will look to defend her Paralympic gold in the event.
Table Tennis
The reigning singles C6 champion, Maryna Lytovchenko from Ukraine, will have the chance to defend her gold medal. Lytovchenko is ranked #1 in the world. Giada Rossi, the reigning world champion from Italy, will look to win another Paralympic medal when she competes in the individual C1-2.
Taekwondo
Silvana Fernandes of Brazil, the reigning bronze medalist, won all of her competitions last year, making her a favorite to medal in the K44 57 kg class. Guljonoy Naimova of Uzbekistan, the first athlete to hold titles in the Paralympics, worlds, and Grand Prix at the same time, is a favorite to win gold in the +65 kg class.
Triathlon
Italy’s Francesca Tarantello, a world champion and the second ranked athlete in the PTVI division, looks to win gold in her first Paralympics.
Wheelchair Basketball
The Netherlands won their first wheelchair basketball gold medal in the last Paralympics. Led by star Mariska Beijer, and coming off two world gold medals, the Netherlands will look to win another gold.
Wheelchair Fencing
Bebe Vio of Italy will be competing in her third Paralympics, looking for her third gold medal in the Foil B event.
Wheelchair Rugby
Sarah Adam is going to be the first woman to play for Team USA in wheelchair rugby! The USA took silver behind Great Britain in the last Paralympics, and Adam will look to help win the USA’s first gold in the event since 2008. Kae Kurahashi was the first woman to play in wheelchair rugby, a mixed team event, for Japan, and the only woman on the bronze medal winning team in 2020. She and Team Japan will look to add another medal, and improve upon their bronze, in the event.
Wheelchair Tennis
Diede de Groot coming off a grand slam last year (winning the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) will get the chance to defend her gold medal in the singles.
Click here for more information on the Paralympic sports and event classifications. Tune in to NBC/Peacock August 28!
Courtesy of the International Paralympic Committee
Edited by Giana Robertaccio
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