Para athletics is the largest sport within the Paralympic Movement in terms of the number of participating athletes and countries. It was one of the eight sports included in the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960 and has remained on the programme ever since, consistently attracting the biggest crowds and TV audiences.

Today, World Para Athletics, governed by the International Paralympic Committee, serves as the sport’s international federation. Athletes compete in different events based on their sport-specific classification. Para athletes have physical, intellectual, or vision impairments. Some compete in wheelchairs, while others use prostheses. Vision-impaired athletes are supported by sighted guides.

Para athletics is now practiced by athletes in more than 130 countries and will make its European Para Youth Games debut in Istanbul 2025.