Commentary: Why aren’t the Olympics and Paralympics combined into one Games?

LONDON, Canada: As the lights go out on an outstanding Olympic Games in Paris, it’s important to remember the Games aren’t over – it’s just the halfway mark. While the closing ceremony on Aug 11 seemed like the end of the event with the official handover to Los Angeles for 2028, the 2024 Games were really just on pause.
This two-week break between Olympic and Paralympic Games isn’t a respite at all. Paris was getting ready to host the Paralympic Games, which began on Wednesday (Aug 28) with the opening ceremony.
In two weeks, a whole new set of elite international athletes descended on Paris for the third largest sporting event in the world. Staff worked hard to set up venues for the Paralympic sports. This means tearing down some temporary venues and putting up others that facilitate accessibility for Paralympic sports, athletes and their entourage.
Transforming the village, which housed just over 14,000 athletes and team personnel for the Olympics, to get it ready for the 8,000 para-athletes and staff for the Paralympic Games is no simple feat.
At this juncture, the question often arises as to why the Olympics and Paralympics aren’t combined together into one Games. The reasoning behind the decision is more complicated than it might appear.
In 2001, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed the One Bid, One City agreement to protect the interests of the Paralympic Games. The agreement requires host cities to stage both the Olympic and Paralympic Games using the same venues, facilities and infrastructure. This also unites the two sporting movements.
The sheer size of such an event would make it impossible for almost any city to host a single combined Olympic and Paralympic Games. Consider the logistics of an event that would include approximately 15,000 athletes over 50 sporting disciplines.
In the current iteration, there are already 15 cities outside of Paris playing host to events. For instance, sailing was held in Marseille, shooting was held in Chateauroux and the rowing and canoe-kayak events were held in Vaires-sur-Marne. Even a city with the resources and infrastructure of Paris could not, and would not, host an event of that size.
Combining the games would necessitate a change in structure, and inevitably sports – likely Paralympic sports – would be dropped. Hence the two-week break between Games.
The discussion about the separation of the two events goes much deeper than logistical concerns. Some supporters of the Paralympic Games see the need and value for a separate event that showcases and highlights elite athletes with disabilities.
International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons, for example, argues that hosting the Paralympic Games separately focuses on their broader mission of drawing attention to “issues of disability rights, accessibility and broader areas of inclusion for the legacy of the event.”
The distinct Paralympic event showcases the elite performances of para-athletes, giving them the attention and celebration deserved. All too often, para-athletes’ successes are overshadowed by the tendency of media to prioritise non-disabled athletes, often marginalising or overlooking the achievements of athletes with disabilities.
The challenge, then, is for the host city to maintain the momentum from the Olympics and ensure Paralympic athletes receive the recognition they deserve for their sporting successes. The Canadian Paralympic Committee launched their Greatness Moves Us campaign recently to highlight the stories of excellence of Paralympic athletes and galvanise support and viewership.
Ultimately, the Paralympic Games showcase elite sporting excellence in a way that no other event does. But the Games are about so much more – championing inclusion, disability rights and a lasting legacy of social change.
Paris is an example of a city that has stepped up to the challenge. It put accessibility at the centre of its bid, knowing full well the challenge ahead of them in the historic city.
Leading into the Games, the city has made good on many promises around accessibility and increasing opportunities for people with disabilities. The city upgraded the overground transportation network by adding fully accessible bus and tram lines, and introduced 1,000 accessible taxis.
They also tackled some challenging tasks, such as upgrading historic venues into accessible sporting spaces. More than €10 million (US$11 million) was allocated to improve the accessibility of six major sports facilities, including the Georges Vallerey swimming pool and the Pierre de Coubertin stadium.
The aim is to sustain the momentum, not only between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but long after they conclude, with the goal of creating a more inclusive society in France.
Leading up to the start of the Paralympics, there was some concern about whether the momentum will be there from a viewership perspective and spectators in the stands. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games set records for viewership in a Games that was largely devoid of spectators in the stand due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
American television network NBC reported 15.5 million viewers per night for the 2020 Olympic Games, in contrast to 14 million viewers in total for the 2020 Paralympic Games.
But many of us will be looking more at the momentum of the event to be a catalyst for inclusion, access and opportunity beyond the events. Once all the lights go out on the Games, it is the lasting legacy of social change that will be the ultimate judge of the success of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Laura Misener is Professor & Director at the School of Kinesiology, Western University. This commentary first appeared on The Conversation.