THE 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris will officially kick off on August 28, with 11 days of competition coming to an end on September 8.
During this time, a number of prominent figures will be participating in the commentary for the events. Here’s more about them.
Louise Hunt is part of the wheelchair tennis commentating team.
Hunt, who was born with Spina Bifida, is an international tournament director and professional commentator.
The former wheelchair tennis player has been a pundit at events such Wimbledon, World Team Cup, and the Paralympics.
She made her Paralympic debut at London 2012, competing in the women’s singles competition, and competed in her first away Games at Rio 2016.
Consequently, she won a number of silver and bronze medals as part of Great Britain’s team.
In 2015 she also secured her first career singles wins against world top ten ranked opposition.
She reached a career high of ten in the world rankings in both singles and doubles, and number two nationally.
Speaking to Business Biscuit, Hunt said: “I’m very excited to be part of the Wheelchair Tennis commentary team in Paris.
“I’m especially thrilled to be working with Jayant Mistry, who I have known for most of my life.
“As a junior player, he was one of my idols. He was who I aspired to be like, and it’s an incredible honour to now work alongside him.”
She added: “I am immensely proud to be working alongside such an elite team of presenters, pundits, reporters, and commentators for this historic event, and I cannot wait to get started!”
Retired British wheelchair tennis player, Jayant Mistry, was a former British number one singles player.
The guest pundit also ranked number two in the men’s doubles.
He competed at four Paralympic Games and was a semifinalist in the men’s doubles at the 2000 Summer Paralympics.
The 57-year-old was the first British player to win the wheelchair men’s doubles title at the 2005 Wimbledon Championships alongside Michaël Jeremiasz.
Mistry is also the first British man to win a men’s title at the Wimbledon Championships since Fred Perry in 1936.
Like Hunt, he was born with Spina Bifida.
Katherine Downes is an English television presenter, who specialises in sports coverage.
In 2022, she was a key member of the BBC Sport team, presenting and conducting interviews at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Over the past few months, Downes has appeared on various BBC channels, covering five major sports events, two weeks of Wimbledon, the Paris Olympics, and the Paralympic Games.
The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8.
The wheelchair tennis events itself will be held from August 30 to September 7.
There are six medal events at the Paralympic Games – women’s, men’s and quad singles and doubles.
Draws are straight knockout and matches are played as best of three tie-break sets with the doubles featuring a match tie-break at one set all.
The Paris 2024 Paralympics will be broadcast live on Channel 4 in the UK from August 28, 2024 at 7pm.
US spectators can tune in on either Peacock or NBC Olympics platforms.
