Fireworks illuminate over National Stadium viewed from Shibuya Sky observation deck during the Opening Ceremony for the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. There are officially 4,403 athletes competing in Tokyo, a record number for any Paralympics. They represent 162 nations and territories, which includes a refugee team. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) Alexa Szvitacs of Hungary prepares to serve against Danielle Rauen of Brazil in Class 9, Group A of women’s table tennis at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Ibrahim Hamadtou of Egypt plays against Park Hong-kyu of South Korea in Class 6, Group E of men’s table tennis at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Argentina’s Mariela Delgado competes during a heat of the Cycling Track women’s C5 3000m Individual Pursuit at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Izu, Shizuoka prefecture, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) France’s Maxime Valket, left, and Greece’s Panagiotis Triantafyllou compete for a bronze medal in men’s sabre individual category B at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) Daomin Liu competes at Women’s 200m Individual Medley – SM6 Heat 1 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Sumeyye Boyaci, from Turkey, competes at Mixed 4x50m Freestyle Relay – 20 Points Heat 2 at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Mark Ingemann Peters of Denmark falls during a pool phase group match of Wheelchair Rugby at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) Yulia Pavlenko of the Ukraine competes in the women’s T11 long jump at the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Sam McIntosh of Australia prepare to compete men’s 400m in the T52 class at the 2020 Summer Paralympics, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) United States’s Susannah Scaroni competes in the women’s 5000-meters T54 final during the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Beatriz Hatz of the United States competes in the women’s T62 long jump final during the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) Argentina’s Mauricio Ibarbure competes against Japan’s Takumi Nakamura in the boccia individual BC1 pool match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) United States’ Allysa Seely holds a U.S. flag after winning the women’s triathlon PTS2 at the Odaiba Marine Park at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Australia’s Andrew Edmondson falls during a semifinal wheelchair rugby match against the United States at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato) Swimming athlete Siyazbek Daliyev, from Kazakhstan, stretches before the Men’s 50m Backstroke – S5 final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) Australia’s Ryley Batt falls during the wheelchair rugby bronze medal match against Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) Joshua Wheeler of the United States, right, is blocked by Britain’s Stuart Robinson during the wheelchair rugby gold medal match at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama) Mexico’s Erick Ortiz Monroy competes in the men’s F53 seated shot put final during the 2020 Paralympics at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Japan’s Yui Kajimi competes during women’s doubles quarterfinal tennis match against China’s Huang Huimin and Huang Jinlian at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)
The Paralympic Games have been under way in Tokyo and will continue until the closing ceremony on Sept. 5.
Here are some photos from the first week of competition.
There are 22 sports in the Paralympics. Some carry the same name as in the Olympics, such as swimming track and field, archery, badminton, rowing, track cycling, road cycling, and so forth.
But there are sports that are unique to the Paralympics: sitting volleyball, boccia, goalball, and 5-a-side-football. In addition, there are four sports that are contested by athletes in wheelchairs, but the sports will sound familiar: wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, and wheelchair tennis.
There are officially 4,403 athletes competing in Tokyo, a record number for any Paralympics They represent 162 nations and territories, which includes a refugee team. Each athlete has unique differences that have to be classified according to individual impairments. The many classification categories make some sports difficult to understand, but the photos clearly show the high level of competition and training.
