Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: Marcel Hug, Markus Rehm, Oksana Masters… eight foreign stars to watch during the “paras”

Les Jeux Paralympiques auront lieu du 28 août au 8 septembre. MAXPPP

Two days before the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympic Games (August 28 – September 8), which international athletes could well win a medal?? An overview of athletics, tennis or rugby.

Marcel Hug, 38, Switzerland, para-athletics

He is certainly a monster in wheelchair racing. With six Paralympic titles, for 12 medals in total, Marcel Hug is at the top of his discipline, and has already shown it in Paris, at the world championships last year, by winning three world titles in the 800, 1,500 meters and 5,000 meters. A domination that can be attributed to the whole of Switzerland, since her compatriots Catherine DeBrunner and Manuela Schaer had also shone in the capital.

Oksana Masters, Zakia Khudadadi, Cédric Nankin, Anne-Sophie Centis, Alexis Hanquinquant et Gabriel Araujo, six athlètes qui visent l’or aux Jeux Paralympiques. À huit jours de la cérémonie d’ouverture, @FranceTV raconte dans un documentaire inédit le parcours et l'histoire de ces… pic.twitter.com/Zx2EAoyhYc

— Paris 2024 (@Paris2024) August 20, 2024

Ryley Batt, 35, Australia, Wheelchair rugby

He is one of the symbols of Australian power in wheelchair rugby. Notably highlighted in the documentary “Rising Phoenix”, broadcast in 2020 on the Netflix platform, Ryley Batt was twice crowned Paralympic champion with Australia (2012, 2016). He is also a two-time world champion.

Tokito Oda, 18, Japan, wheelchair tennis

Last year, at the age of 17, the Japanese player became the youngest winner of the Roland-Garros tournament by beating the British Alfie Hewett, silver medalist in singles in Rio in 2016, in the final. His record is already impressive since the same year he won the Wimbledon tournament, and in 2024 he won the Australian Open and Roland-Garros again. Back on the Porte d'Auteuil side, he appears as an obvious favorite.

Diede de Groot, 27, Netherlands, wheelchair tennis

Six consecutive titles at the Australian Open and the US Open, five victories at Roland-Garros, six at Wimbledon and two Paralympic titles in singles and doubles in Tokyo, the Dutchwoman Diede de Groot's record speaks for herself. With 23 individual titles, the world No. 1 is quite simply the most successful wheelchair tennis player in Grand Slam history, ahead of her compatriot Esther Vergeer.

The Paralympic flame was lit this Saturday, August 24 in England. XinHua – Li Ying

Matt Stutzman, 41, USA, para-archery

Starring in the famous documentary “Rising Phoenix”, Matt Stutzman knows how to do everything with his feet, including archery. A silver medalist at the London Games in 2012, Stutzman made his mark by managing to hit the target using his foot, even though he was born without arms. At 41, he will once again be at the Games in Paris.

Markus Rehm, 35, Germany, para-athletics

Nicknamed “Blade Jumper”, German long jump star Markus Rehm naturally returns to Paris as a favorite for the final victory after retaining his Paralympic title in the T64 category three years ago. Holder of the world record (8.72 meters in June 2023 in Rhede/Germany), and with marks that rub shoulders with those of able-bodied people, Rehm had wanted to participate in the Olympic Games, particularly in Rio and Tokyo. But questions about a possible advantage offered by her right tibia prosthesis prevented her from doing so.

Omara Durand, 32, Cuba, para-athletics

At the Games, Cuba's Omara Durand has known almost nothing but success, winning eight gold medals in total in four participations. The 32-year-old athlete, who is visually impaired and specialises in distances from 100 to 400 metres, is aiming to achieve a hat-trick in Paris (100, 200 and 400 metres) for the third time in a row at the Paras.

One of the greatest-ever Paralympians Oksana Masters is set to compete next week in Paris 🔥 pic.twitter.com/O6J2qbGbx7

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 23, 2024

Oksana Masters, 35, United States, para-cycling

Rowing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, cycling, no sport can resist Oksana Masters. In total, the American, born in Ukraine at the time the Soviet Socialist Republic, has 17 Paralympic titles in all these disciplines and notably won gold twice in the individual event at the Beijing Winter Games (in biathlon) two years ago.