The Paralympic Games include many of the same events as the Olympic Games, such as cycling, archery, and swimming for summer sports, and Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, and biathlon for winter sports. Sports equipment used by Paralympic athletes may be modified for specific impairments.
The size and diversity of the Paralympic Games have increased greatly over the years. The 1960 Paralympics in Rome hosted 400 athletes from 23 countries participating in 8 sports, and the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London included more than 4,200 athletes representing 164 countries participating in 20 sports. Some 4,400 athletes competed in 549 events in 22 sports at the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris.