NCD Chair represents U.S. at Paralympics opening ceremony

NCD Chair represents U.S. at Paralympics opening ceremony

For Immediate Release

Aug. 28, 2024

WASHINGTON - Today, a member of the National Council on Disability (NCD) will be a representative of the United States as the world gathers to celebrate diplomacy through sport.

NCD Chair Claudia Gordon is part of the Presidential Delegation to Paris, France to attend the Opening Ceremony and events of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

At 20:00 local Paris time (2 p.m. ET), Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées hosts 4,400 Paralympic athletes from 184 delegations to celebrate the commencement of 11 days of elite sports competition that includes 549 medal events in 22 sports.

"It's an immense privilege to be part of the Presidential Delegation for the Paralympics," said Chair Gordon. "The opportunity to witness firsthand the extraordinary talents of our athletes and the profound impact of the Games on the global stage is truly inspiring."

Recently, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. announced the full designation that includes:

U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who will lead the delegation to the Opening of the Paralympic Games; U.S. Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco Denise Campbell Bauer; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Tanya Bradsher; and three-time Paralympian and eight-time medalist Brad Snyder.

The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is sending 225 athletes from 38 states to compete in the Games featuring athletes with disabilities. Since 1988 the Games have taken part in the same cities and venues as the Olympics due to an agreement between the International Paralympics Committee and the International Olympics Committee.

The Paralympics opening ceremony will run from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET and will air live on USA Network and stream on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms. NBC will also air an encore presentation from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on Friday.

In total, the Games will feature more than 140 hours of network television and 1,500 hours of streaming, the most in the history of the Games. Peacock will provide live coverage across all 12 days of competition.

The Closing Ceremony will take place on September 8.