The pandemic has caused extensive disruptions in most people’s lives. For athletes with disabilities, who worked hard to be prepared to compete in the Tokyo Paralympics in 2020, COVID interrupted their careers, and their incredible athletic efforts weren’t acknowledged and celebrated. However, finally, after more than a year-long wait, the 240-member 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team, including six guides for visually-impaired athletes, that will take part in the upcoming Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 were announced.
The 2020 Tokyo Paralympics will be opened on August 24!
After a year-long postponement due to the pandemic, the Opening Ceremony will take place Tuesday, August 24, with competition beginning on August 25, concluding on Sunday, September 6. “After an unparalleled year, our incredible roster of 234 athletes and six guides are ready to show the world the athleticism and determination of Team USA on the Tokyo stage,” said Julie Dussliere, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee chief of Paralympic sport. “We can’t wait to cheer them on as they live out their dreams in front of the nation and the globe.”
Facts about Team USA:
234 U.S. athletes will compete at the Paralympics.
The U.S. team consists of 234 athletes, of which 105 will be making their Paralympic debut. Additionally, three of them are six-time Paralympians, ten five-time Paralympians, 14 four-time Paralympians. In total, the delegation holds a collective of 233 medals from 51 Paralympic champions. “At its core, the Paralympic Games represent inclusivity and the infinite possibility of sport,” said Sarah Hirshland, CEO United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. “This group of athletes represents Team USA at their best. They are strong, resilient and ready to make you proud.”
A strong Team USA.
Part of Team USA is 23-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long (swimming) and 17-time medalist Tatyana McFadden (track and field). Other popular names include multiple medalists Oksana Masters (para-cycling), Cheri Madsen (wheelchair racing) and David Wagner (wheelchair tennis), who have all won eight medals so far. Wheelchair racers Amanda McGrory and Raymond Martin, and paratriathlete Brad Snyder will also head to Tokyo with seven previous Paralympic podium appearances. Blake Haxton is the only athlete on the team who will compete in two sports – paracanoe and rowing, and three athletes will make their sixth Paralympic Games appearance in Tokyo – goalball athlete Asya Miller, table tennis athlete Tahl Leibovitz and wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden. Furthermore, two new sports competitions were added to the Tokyo Paralympics: badminton and taekwondo, which makes a new total of 22 featured sports categories.
NBCUniversal is committed to the Paralympic movement.
As ABILITY Magazine recently reported, NBCUniversal will showcase an unprecedented 1,200 hours of Paralympic programming, which has grown from 5.5 total hours for London 2012 and 70 hours for Rio 2016 Presented by Toyota, this marks the network’s first-ever primetime broadcasts, with more than 200 hours of TV coverage among NBC, NBCSN and the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, and over 1,000 hours of live streaming across 19 sports on NBC’s digital platforms.
Find out more: - You can learn more about the full 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team roster by sport and by state (athletes’ recognized hometowns).
- Team USA fans can follow the 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team at TeamUSA.org 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 previews, a history book, competition schedules, and facts and figures about the U.S. delegation.
- Fans can continue to learn about the U.S. Paralympic team with Team USA’s “Show the World” campaign that launched in late June which aims to drive awareness of the Paralympic Movement while showcasing the elite competitive abilities of Team USA Paralympic athletes.
Featured Image: Deepa-Malik-Paralympics
