Another Paralympics is in the books — but certainly one not soon to be forgotten.
With an incredible 2.5 million tickets sold, the 17th Summer Paralympic Games in Paris brought back the kind of energetic and unparalleled atmosphere that was glaringly absent during the COVID-held Tokyo Games in 2021.
Paralympians who felt they didn’t get the “full Paralympic experience” in Tokyo got it in spades in the French capital, elevating their achievements into the moments they had dreamed of.
Those eleven days in Paris showcased the monumental power of Para sport and the awe-inspiring athleticism of its competitors, giving us a wealth of unforgettable highlights, inspiring displays and tear-jerking triumphs.
Here’s a look at some of our favourites.
History made
While every Games has its share of records, the Paris Paralympics were also host to a different kind of historic feat.
Zakia Khudadadi was overcome with joy after becoming the first athlete to win a Paralympic medal for the Refugee Paralympic Team, battling her way to taekwondo bronze in the women’s K44 47-kilogram division.
Khudadadi threw off her protective headgear and leaped into the arms of her trainer, with the crowd at the Grand Palais giving her an ovation worthy of a Paralympic champion.
“I went through so much to get here. This medal is for all the women of Afghanistan and all the refugees of the world. I hope that one day there will be peace in my country,” said Khudadadi, who went on to serve as a flag-bearer in the closing ceremony.
Indian teenager Sheetal Devi became the talk of the Games by making history as the first armless female archer to compete at a Paralympics.
The 17-year-old Devi, born with a condition called phocomelia, went viral after nailing a bullseye in the individual compound tournament. Her bronze medal in the mixed team event further cemented her trailblazing legacy.
Fellow compound archer Jodie Grinham of Great Britain left her mark on history as the first pregnant woman to win a Paralympic medal, leaving Paris as champion.
The 31-year-old captured mixed team gold and individual bronze while being seven months along. She has a shortened left arm, underdeveloped left shoulder, with no fingers and half a thumb on her left hand.
An embodiment of female strength, Grinham already balances motherhood and sport with a two-year-old son.
“I want to be a mother and an athlete,” Grinham said. “I’m not willing to sacrifice either of them but at home I am mummy.”
Canadian pool party
Nearly half of Canada’s 29 medals in Paris were won in the pool. Led by golden performances from Aurélie Rivard, Danielle Dorris, Nicholas Bennett and Sebastian Massabie, Canada’s swimmers reached the podium 13 times — their most at a Paralympics since 2012 in London.
Two of Bennett’s medals were of the golden variety, and he took it a step further with a record swim.
Bennett, who holds the world record in the SM14 200m individual medley, added the Paralympic record to his quickly growing list of athletic accomplishments.
“Seven one-hundredths off my world record, it’s successful to say the least,” he said.
WATCH l Bennett clocks Paralympic-record time in 200m IM:
Canada’s Nicholas Bennett secured the gold medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke SB14. His second gold medal in Paris 2024 came with a Paralympic record time of 2:06.05.
At just 20 years old, Bennett became the first Canadian man to win multiple swimming gold medals at a single Paralympics since Benoît Huot at the 2004 Games in Athens.
“I’m just incredibly proud of me, my sister, my family. I wouldn’t be here without them,” Bennett said after winning Canada’s first gold medal in Paris.
Speaking of records and breakout stars. Surrey, B.C.’s Massabie swam the fastest-ever time in the men’s S4 50m freestyle, clocking a blazing world-record mark of 35.61 seconds at Paris La Défense Arena.
Propelled by his love for the sport, the 19-year-old broke the previous mark by 0.6 seconds in his storybook Paralympic debut.
“Everything. It means everything to me,” Massabie said of his passion for swimming.
WATCH l Massabie breaks world record in 50m freestyle:
Canada’s Sebastian Massabie, 19, of Surrey, B.C., has won gold in the men’s S4 50-metre freestyle in a world-record time of 35.61 seconds.
The 21-year-old Dorris, already competing in her third Games, left no doubt about her absolute dominance in the 50m butterfly.
The Moncton, N.B., native left the field in her wake while cruising to her second straight Paralympic title in the women’s S7 event as the crowd roared with excitement.
WATCH l Dorris successfully defends 50m freestyle title:
Danielle Dorris from Moncton, N.B., wins gold in the women’s S7 50-metre butterfly at Paris 2024 to successfully defend her title from three years ago at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Inspiring debut on the water
The Paralympics shatter pre-conceived notions about disability and what can be overcome. Paralympians are elite athletes through and through, and their stories of resilience and beating the odds embody the Paralympic spirit.
Look no further than Jacob Wassermann, the Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor who made his Paralympic debut in rowing before a roaring crowd at Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium.
While Wassermann ultimately didn’t qualify for medal race in his event, his participation was a victory in itself.
But Paris was just the start for the former goaltender from Humboldt, Sask., with his rowing development building toward the Los Angeles Games in 2028.
“This has been extremely challenging, getting ready for a Games in the span of six months from when I qualified to now,” Wassermann said.
“It came at me in a short amount of time. There was that to deal with, but at the same time coming here with basically no expectations other than getting the experience going forward because now I know what to expect.”
Canadian wheelchair racing gold rush
Canada’s wheelchair racers stole the show at Stade de France with four gold medals. They accounted for six of Canada’s nine total medals in athletics.
Victoria’s Cody Fournie had a Paralympic debut for the ages, becoming a two-time gold medallist after clocking a Paralympic-record time in the men’s T51 100 metres and a career-best time in the 200m.
The 35-year-old Fournie, who was diagnosed with quadriplegia after an accident at age 11, was a wheelchair rugby player before finding his calling as a racer.
“It means the world to me,” Fournie said after winning two Paralympic titles in Paris.
WATCH l Fournie wins 2nd gold medal of Paris Paralympics:
Victoria’s Cody Fournie won gold in the men’s 200-metres T51 final to claim Canada’s second gold medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Para athletics legend Brent Lakatos kept pace with Rivard in Paris, also winning his 12th and 13th career Paralympic medals.
Competing in his fifth Paralympics at 44 years old, Lakatos sped to his first gold medal at the Games since 2016 in the men’s T53 100m. The Dorval, Que., native also took home silver in the 400 for the third time in his Paralympic career.
WATCH l Lakatos returns to top of Paralympic podium:
Eight years after winning his first career Paralympic gold medal, 12-time world champion Brent Lakatos of Dorval, Que., won the men’s 800-metre T53 race in Paris to claim his second-career Paralympic gold medal.
Austin Smeenk of Oakville, Ont., earned the first Paralympic gold medal of his career with a victory in the men’s T34 800m final. The world-record holder once again showed that he was a cut above the competition, using his relentless power to separate from the pack and take his spot on the throne.
The 27-year-old, who was born with spastic paraplegia, had already scooped up bronze in the 100m.
WATCH l Smeenk becomes Paralympic champion in 800m:
27-year-old Austin Smeenk from Oakville, Ont., won in the men’s T34 800-metres in a time of one minute 39.27 seconds at Stade de France.
Tough act to follow
International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said the Paris Games set a new benchmark for future Games, with the long-awaited return of crowds playing an instrumental role.
The 2028 Paralympics in L.A. will have a tough act to follow.
“I think these Games brought us to a completely new level. It’s the most spectacular Games ever — just the quality of sport and the quality of venues, while the enthusiasm and the atmosphere that the crowd provided was just insane,” Parsons said.
The ticket sales challenged the record of 2.7 million from London 2012, surpassing Rio for second all-time.
