Olympics versus Paralympics
Are the Paralympics the ultimate demonstration of athleticism, overshadowing their Olympic counterpart? While the Paralympics may have once lingered in the shadow of the Olympics, recent conversations—fueled by social media—suggest that these athletes, overcoming immense physical and societal challenges, represent the pinnacle of human resilience and strength. But does this comparison do justice to either event or are we just missing the point by pitting them against each other?
Those of you who have doomscrolled on Instagram or TikTok between August and September may have seen it: the idea that the Olympics were nothing compared to the Paralympics. At the Olympic Games in London in 2012, Channel 4 stated, "the Olympic Games are the warmup for the real deal." In 2024, social media users showed the same excitement about the Paralympics.
Still, Paralympic athletes often fight for the same media attention that Olympic competitors easily receive. In the US, the Paralympics drew only half as many TV viewers as the Olympics. Is this new popularity on social media just a strategy to hype up the Paralympics, which have historically lacked mainstream attention?
The Differences
The Paralympics and Olympics, while often mistaken as one big event, are actually quite distinct. The Paralympics feature different sports, due to them being designed for those with disabilities, and are also much denser, hosting 549 events, compared to the Olympics' "mere" 329 events.
How could you compare an Olympic swimmer to a Paralympic swimmer, when they hold such different sets of circumstances and abilities? Considering that many of the people who jumped on the social media trend are, themselves, not disabled (and also not world-class athletes), including this author, how should we then be able to assess the successes of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes and even begin to compare them to each other?
Fouad Ben Ahmed noted in an interview with The Athletic that "the Stade de France [was] not full [during Paralympic events]" and tickets were not too difficult to get, while the stadium was packed during the Olympics and tickets were highly sought after and difficult to acquire.
Many thought the Paralympics kicking off two weeks after the Olympics concluded was too big a gap: many spectators, commentators, and viewers had already left Paris prior to the start of the Paralympics, and outside viewers and media coverage had dwindled post-Olympics which caused enthusiasm to dampen. This year, as AUP Professor David Eichert pointed out, the Paralympics also coincided with the hectic rentree of students and families to the city post-summer vacation—this is especially prominent in Paris, considering we all know how seriously the French take "les grandes vacances."
The Barriers
Paralympic athletes are not only fighting to get the same media attention as their Olympic counterparts, but they also prominently face more barriers. For Paralympic athletes, physically getting around the city can be just as daunting as any Olympic event—Paris' cobblestone streets, while gorgeous, are incredibly difficult to navigate as a disabled person. Many visitors told The Athletic that it was "impossible" to get around.
Physical barriers are not all the Paralympic athletes have to face; there is an abundance of discrimination surrounding disabled athletes. Social media sees loads of cruel 'jokes' and hate speech about the Paralympics, as well as disabled people in general. In Germany, 'comedian' Luke Mockridge caused a scandal a few weeks ago when he 'joked' on a podcast that the Paralympics basically "are people without legs and arms, you throw them into a pool—and whoever drowns last is the winner." Such distasteful statements are made not only while the Paralympics take place; many disabled athletes have faced bullying since childhood. Overcoming these external obstacles and finding the courage to work against the stereotype of 'disability as a weakness' is a challenge and achievement that distinguishes Paralympic athletes from Olympic athletes.
The Heroes
For those of you who have been in the Olympic social media bubble, one name comes up frequently: Simone Biles. She withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020 to protect her mental health, and she is not the only athlete who publicly talks about mental health problems. The International Olympic Committee itself acknowledges that "elite athletes are at increased risk of mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders." These athletes are under so much pressure from trainers, sponsors, viewers, and, of course, social media; they are constantly pushed to new heights, sometimes resulting in injuries that can end an athlete's career in a second.
The amount of perseverance displayed in this year's Olympic and Paralympic games was inspirational: the return of Suni Lee, the "Golden" couple Tara and Hunter Woodhall, Khudadadi and the history-making Refugee Paralympic Team, the list could go on.
Athletic events like this are tremendously difficult on all those competing; the amount of hardcore resilience and discipline required—add in being disabled too—to succeed is unfathomable and highly respectable; they're all heroes.
The Takeaway
While it is important to recognize the higher barriers Paralympians face, we must not fall into the 'Paralympic paradox,' which refers to people focusing too much on the athletes' disabilities instead of their incredible athleticism. David Eichert says, "Obviously, the Paralympics are just as impressive as the Olympics because they're all things I am not capable of doing." Both the Olympics and Paralympics are spectacles of enormous talent and strength that this small percentage of people possess.
There is plenty of appeal to the idea that the Paralympics are more impressive than the Olympics when you consider the struggles of discrimination and structural barriers that come along with the "Para" category.
In the end, we cannot truly compare the Olympics and the Paralympics—they neither hold the same events nor do most spectators have enough knowledge about the differences in circumstances to make this comparison.
The next Paralympic and Olympic games will take place in 2028 in Los Angeles. When this time comes, I propose we start celebrating the unbelievable achievements by paying well-deserved attention and respect to the Paralympians, without undermining the Olympians, or comparing the two games.
