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Polish Paralympic athletes return home with haul of medals

09.09.2024 22:30
Officials, family and fans welcomed Polish Paralympic athletes home on Monday, celebrating their impressive performance at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games.
Triple Paralympic champion Karolina Pęk poses with her gold medals at Warsaws Chopin Airport on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024.
Triple Paralympic champion Karolina Pęk poses with her gold medals at Warsaw's Chopin Airport on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024.Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański

The Polish team returned with 23 medals—eight gold, six silver and nine bronze—placing them 16th in the overall medal standings.

"You did better than in the previous Games in Tokyo, especially in terms of medal quality," said Eugeniusz Grabowski, deputy head of the Polish Paralympic Committee.

"These medals are the result of your hard work and the dedication of your coaches," he added.

Polish athletes won 23 medals, including eight gold, at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games, which ended on Sunday. Polish athletes won 23 medals, including eight gold, at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games, which ended on Sunday. Photos: PAP/Polski Komitet Paralimpijski (PKPar)

"With 23 medals and 16th place in the standings, we are among the best teams in the world," Grabowski also said during Monday's welcoming ceremony at Warsaw's Chopin Airport.

"The day of your return from a successful Games in Paris marks the beginning of preparations for the next Paralympic Games in Los Angeles," he told the athletes.

China topped the standings at the Paris Paralympics with 220 medals, including 94 gold, 76 silver and 50 bronze. Britain finished second with 124 medals—49 gold, 44 silver, and 31 bronze—followed by the United States in third place with 105 medals: 36 gold, 42 silver and 27 bronze.

Poland, represented by a team of 84 athletes—43 men and 41 women—competed across 15 sports, including para-athletics, swimming, table tennis, weightlifting and kayaking.

More than 4,400 competitors from around the world took part in the global multi-sport event in France, which celebrated the sporting talent of athletes with various impairments.

Public broadcaster Polish Radio was a media partner of the Polish team at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Summer Games, which ran from August 28 to September 8.

Team Poland won 24 medals, seven gold, six silver and 11 bronze, and finished 17th in the overall medal standings at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

Poland scooped 39 medals and finished 10th in the medals table at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.

The next Paralympic Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.

The next Paralympics Games will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. The next Summer Paralympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028. 

(gs)

Source: IAR, PAP