Paris 2024 unveils Para triathlon course

Paris 2024 has unveiled the course for the Para triathlon events of the Paralympic Games. Developed in collaboration with World Triathlon and the relevant public authorities, the course will showcase some of the most beautiful monuments in the host city.

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, which will open in less than 500 days, will feature 11 medal events in Para triathlon. The Organising Committee has also announced two courses for the Olympic Games triathlon events.

Showcasing the beauty of Paris

The starting point of the Para triathlon events will be a floating pontoon positioned at the base of Pont Alexandre III bridge. A 1,000-seat spectator stand will be built to give spectators the chance to see the start and finish of the events.

An iconic venue of Paris 2024, Pont Alexandre III links Les Invalides and Le Grand Palais and will be a hub for excitement of the Games. The bridge is located right next to other competition venues such as Place de la Concorde and the Esplanade des Invalides and is close to the Champ-de-Mars Arena and the Eiffel Tower Stadium.   

During the events, some of the most beautiful monuments and symbolic landmarks in Paris will be put in the spotlight.

After Para athletes complete a 750m swim in the Seine, they will race in front of landmarks and monuments, including Le Grand Palais, Le Petit Palais, and l’Assemblée nationale, on the biking and running phases.

The races will also be an opportunity for fans to cheer for the Para athletes along the course in the heart of Paris and celebrate the first Paralympic Games taking place in the French capital. 

Alexis Hanquinquant, who won the men’s individual PTS4 race at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, said he looks forward to competing on the “spectacular” course in front of a home crowd.

“Being able to defend my Paralympic title at home, in France, is going to be magical and it's an opportunity that should be seize,” he said. “The Paralympic Games are a moment that we all look forward to as athletes, but even more so when we have the chance to compete at home, in front of our public, at the very first Paralympic Summer Games organised in France. 

“The course promises to be very spectacular - even if as an athlete we will be more focused on competition than on the beauty of the sites! – urban and will make for some great images with incredible sites and monuments.”

Scenic, urban, lively and energetic

Paris 2024 has demonstrated the same level of ambition for both the Paralympic and Olympic Games, with the same iconic competition venues for both Games. This will also be the case for the Para triathlon events, which will use the same course as the Olympic events with a few exceptions.

Paris 2024 has chosen to create demanding, technical courses on a sporting level, while ensuring the athletes’ safety. Scenic and urban, lively and energetic, these courses will provide the ideal setting for a thrilling and dramatic competition.

They have also been designed to have the least impact possible in terms of their suitability and to meet World Triathlon's specifications, particularly in terms of the width of the lanes, incline and distance, avoiding unnecessary turns and corners for handcycles and wheelchairs, and the kind of road surface. 

The Paralympic and Olympic courses will be tested during the test events organised by Paris 2024 from 17th to 20th of August 2023, in international triathlon and para triathlon competitions. 

Visit the Paris 2024 website for more information about the Para triathlon course.