United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Reveals 225-Member 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO – The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee today announced the 225-member 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team, including five guides, that are set to compete at the upcoming Paralympic Games Paris 2024. The Paralympic Games will kick off with the Opening Ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 28 at the Place de la Concorde, followed by 11 days of competition held from Thursday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Sep. 8.
“We are filled with pride to unveil the Team USA athletes of the who will represent the United States at the Paralympic Games in Paris this summer,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “Their journey to the pinnacle of their careers is a testament to their unwavering dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence – attributes shared by our community of National Governing Bodies, coaches, families and USOPC staff who strive to help them achieve. We’ve seen what Paris has to offer the athletes of the world as they compete, and the fans of sport who celebrate the very best in elite competition. Now we eagerly anticipate the extraordinary moments and awe-inspiring Paralympic competition that lies ahead, and we can’t wait for Team USA to show the world what they can do.”
The 2024 roster features an equal split of men and women (110 apiece not including guides) and an impressive group of 141 returning Paralympians, including three six-time Paralympians, four five-time Paralympians, eight four-time Paralympians, 21 three-time Paralympians, 42 two-time Paralympians, 63 one-time Paralympians and 78 athletes making their Paralympic debut.
The resume of veterans includes 100 medalists who have earned a combined 122 gold medals from over 277 Paralympic podium appearances. Sixty-three athletes have won multiple Paralympic medals with 34 winning multiple Paralympic gold medals.
Headlining the Paris squad with multiple medals is 29-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long (swimming) who has secured 16 gold medals over her career and remains the second most decorated U.S. Paralympian of all time. Six-time Paralympian Tatyana McFadden (track and field) enters the Paris Games with a record 20 Paralympic medals with the chance to make history as the most winning American for track and field should she top another podium. Dual sport phenomenon and the most decorated winter Paralympian of all-time Oksana Masters (Para-cycling) has recorded 18 total podium appearances among three sports as she looks to repeat double gold in road cycling. McKenzie Coan (swimming) and Kendall Gretsch (paratriathlon) boast six apiece, while David Wagner (wheelchair tennis) leads all American men with eight Paralympic medals.
There are three six-time Paralympians on the roster – Masters, McFadden and Tahl Leibovitz (table tennis). The four athletes with five Paralympic Games on their resume include Long, Wagner, Aaron Pike (track and field) and Lora Webster (sitting volleyball). Four-time Paralympians include Eric Bennett (archery), Heather Erickson (sitting volleyball), Jeremy Campbell (track and field), Katie Holloway (sitting volleyball), Natalie Schneider (wheelchair basketball), Rebecca Hart (Para-equestrian), Steve Serio (wheelchair basketball) and Tyler Merren (goalball).
“It’s the honor of a lifetime to lead this incredible group of 225 athletes in Paris this summer,” said Julie Dussliere, USOPC chief of Paralympics and Chef de Mission for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024. “The Paralympic Games offer an unparalleled opportunity for the world to witness the incredible power of the Movement by showcasing the highest level of sport competition that impacts society changing attitudes and perceptions of disability. Each U.S. athlete has demonstrated relentless determination in the pursuit of their dreams, and it is a privilege to support them on their journey to captivate fans across the globe with their achievements.”
The 2024 team features more than 50% of U.S. Paralympians (115 athletes) who competed collegiately as part of their journey to Team USA. In total, 90 schools from 43 conferences will have one or more Paralympic athletes competing in Paris. Six teams have at least 50% collegiate participation on their U.S. Paralympic rosters: paratriathlon (58%), powerlifting (50%), rowing (100%), swimming (61%), track & field (71%), wheelchair basketball (92%). College athlete representation on the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team spans all three NCAA Divisions (I, II and III), as well as junior colleges, NAIA schools and collegiate club programs.
Additionally, the USOPC and NCAA Office of Inclusion today launched a new Para-college sport hub, paracollegesport.com. An online resource dedicated to supporting collegiate sports for adaptive athletes, the one stop shop will serve as a central platform to grow Para sport programs across college campuses nationwide. Targeted at high school student-athletes and college administrators, the website aims to grow the footprint and pipeline of Paralympic sport in the United States. The initiative is derived from the USOPC/NCAA Para-college Inclusion Project launched in 2021 and features a collection of resources including how to start a new on campus adaptive program, where to find existing programs and much more.
The full 2024 U.S. Paralympic team roster, which can be sorted by sport or by state (athlete recognized hometowns), can be viewed here. Similar to previous Games, the roster does not reflect athletes currently registered for the Paralympic Games as alternates. Any delegation changes following the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team announcement will be reflected on TeamUSA.com and USOPC.org.
The USOPC’s first-of-its-kind initiative, Team USA Creators, will return to Paris for the Paralympic Games immersing fans with an unprecedented opportunity to experience the Games like never before. Enabled by exclusive access provided by the USOPC and NBCUniversal, the program will feature five Team USA athletes and five influencers including:
- Chuck Aoki (@chuckaoki) – Three-time Paralympic medalist in wheelchair rugby, Instagram creator
- Dani Aravich (@theonearmdan) – Two-time summer and winter Paralympian, multimedia creator, Paralympic Round-Up series co-host
- Tara Davis-Woodhall (@_taarra_) – Olympic gold medalist and two-time Olympian, co-host of Tara and Hunter YouTube channel
- Mike Schultz (@monstermikeschultz) – Three-time Paralympic medalist in Para snowboarding, author, Instagram creator
- Brody Roybal (@brodyusa4) – Three-time Paralympic medalist in sled hockey, co-creator of Menecis and Brody TikTok channel
- Erin Azar (@immrsspacecadet) – Creator and host of @nonmembersonly podcast
- Craig Conover (@caconover) – Star of Bravo’s Southern Charm and owner of @SewingDownSouth
- Menecis Garriga (@menecisss_cx) – Co-creator of Menecis and Brody TikTok channel
- Matt James (@mattjames919) – American television personality and entrepreneur
- Jesi Stracham (@jesistracham) – Creator and founder of @wheelwithmefoundation
Team USA returns to Paris on the cusp of a historic Olympic Games where the U.S. topped the overall medal table with a total of 126 medal wins (40 gold, 44 silver, 42 bronze) for the eighth consecutive Games.
The Paralympic Games will feature over 4,400 Paralympic athletes competing in 22 sports for 549 medal events. Nearly 1.4 million tickets have already been sold for events at 17 iconic venues throughout the country, including the Grand Palais, Chateau de Versailles, Roland-Garros, and Eiffel Tower. The Paris Games will mark several milestones including the city’s inaugural Paralympic Games, the first time both the Olympic and Paralympic Games have shared a logo, and the debut of a Paralympic mascot featuring a physical disability. Paris will also mark the first-ever Team USA House held for the Paralympic Games with passes available for the public to purchase at this link.
Earlier this spring, the USOPC launched an all-new brand platform, “One for All,” showcasing the many powerful stories of the athletes who make up the collective Team USA. Premiering during a time when the power of athletes’ voices has never been more palpable, “One for All” puts Team USA athletes’ voices at the center, highlighting their personalities and extraordinary athletic ability while gaining a deeper understanding of the people and communities who helped to make it all possible.
Fans can continue to visit Making Team USA presented by Xfinity, with official partner Eli Lilly and Company, to follow along the athletes’ journey. Xfinity is also rolling out its Xfinity Athlete Connections program, which will provide a “connections credit” to each athlete who qualifies for the 2024 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams to help them remain connected while pursuing their dreams this summer.
NBCU’s Paralympic Games coverage, presented by Toyota, will include the most streaming hours ever for a Paralympic event, with approximately 1,500 hours of live coverage across all 22 Paralympic sports set to be streamed on Peacock throughout the duration of the 12-day event. Gold Zone and Multiview – two of the most raved-about features of Peacock’s coverage of the Paris Olympic Games — will make their Paralympic Games debut when competition coverage begins Aug. 29. Additionally, more than 140 hours of Paris Paralympic television coverage across NBC, USA Network, and CNBC will be presented. NBCOlympics.com and the NBC Sports app will provide streaming coverage via authentication. For more information on NBCUniversal’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Paralympics, including programming and commentators, click here.
Follow Team USA in Paris
Team USA fans can follow the 2024 U.S. Paralympic Team at TeamUSA.com and across Team USA’s social channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. The U.S. Paralympic Team microsite will offer Team USA results from the Paralympic Games, as well as athlete biographies, sport storylines and more.
The USOPC continues to use its Team USA Paris 2024 media hub, where media can find qualified Paris 2024 athletes, sport previews, National Governing Body press officer contact information and more. The USOPC will continue to add on-the-ground information, including details on press conferences, breaking news, high-demand ticketing and more to this website.
2024 U.S. Paralympic Team Stats
- Thirty-eight states are represented on the U.S. roster with California (27), Illinois (14), Texas (12), Pennsylvania (11) and Washington (11) boasting the most athletes.
- Abbas Karimi (swimming) returns for his second Paralympic Games and first as a member and citizen of the United States. Born in Afghanistan, Karimi was a member of the Refugee Paralympic Team at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
- Paralympic bronze medalist Mohamed Lahna (paratriathlon) who represented his native Morocco at the Paralympic Games Rio 2016, will make his debut as a member of Team USA in Paris after officially racing for the U.S. for the first time in 2021.
- The 2024 roster includes equal gender representation with 110 women and 110 men. Of the five guides, there are three men and two women.
- There are 16 athletes who self-identify as military, including three active duty who continue to serve in the Army and Marines: shooter Kevin Nguyen, swimmer Elizabeth Marks and fencer Jataya Taylor.
- The 2024 team features more than 50% of U.S. Paralympians (115 athletes) who competed collegiately as part of their journey to Team USA. In total, 90 schools from 43 conferences will be represented with one or more Paralympic athletes competing in Paris.
- Archer Jordan White is the youngest athlete on Team USA at age 15, while Marco De La Rosa (shooting) is the oldest competing at 52 years old. There are four athletes on the team under 18.
- Multi-season athletes Oksana Masters (Para-cycling and Para Nordic skiing), Aaron Pike (Para track and field and Para Nordic skiing) and Kendall Gretsch (paratriathlon and Para Nordic skiing) return to the summer Games just two years after an impressive run at the Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 where the women combined for a total of 10 medal wins. Masters cemented her name in history, becoming the most decorated winter Paralympian of all-time.
- U.S. Paralympics Track & Field holds the largest sport delegation for the U.S. with a total of 54 athletes named to the team.
- Three athletes head to Paris with sixth Paralympic Games appearances already on their resumes – Oksana Masters (Para-cycling), Tatyana McFadden (track and field) and Tahl Leibovitz (table tennis).
- There are 45 athletes on the team who self-identify as parents, including 14 mothers and 31 fathers.
- February is the most popular birth month with 26 athletes celebrating in the month.
- Sarah Adam is set to become the first woman to represent Team USA in wheelchair rugby at a Paralympic Games.
- Four of the five U.S. team sports in Paris earned podium appearances at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 with the men’s wheelchair basketball and women’s sitting volleyball teams each seeking their third consecutive Paralympic titles.
- Paris marks the first time Team USA House will have a presence at the Paralympic Games. Conveniently located at the historic Palais Brongniart in Paris’ second arrondissement, Team USA House will offer guests unprecedented, once-in-a-lifetime access to celebrate hometown athletes, and the chance to come together to watch the action and toast Team USA wins, while immersing themselves in the Paralympic Games.
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
