Age distributions in Paralympic Games Paris 2024: an analysis of 5,540 para athletes across 13 individual disciplines

This study aimed to quantify the age distributions of Para athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games across 13 individual disciplines. A total of 5,540 athletes (52.2% male, 47.8% female) participated, with ages calculated at competition. The analysis examined differences by discipline, sex, and competitive achievement (medallist vs. non-medallist). The statistical analyses included the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Mann-Whitney U post-hoc tests to detect differences across disciplines, while Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used to analyze sex and competitive achievement at the level of 5%. The results revealed significant variation in age across sports. Para Equestrian (38 years), Para Archery (37 years), and Para Powerlifting (36 years) exhibited the highest ages, indicating later career, while Para Swimming (25 years), Para Taekwondo (27 years), and Para Athletics (29 years) showed earlier ages. The male Para Athletes demonstrated a slightly higher median age than females (30 vs. 28ys). No significant age difference was found between medallists and non-medallists. Age category analysis highlighted a greater proportion of athletes over 30 years in disciplines with later ages. These findings underscore the importance of sport-specific age considerations in Paralympic athlete's development and talent identification. The study contributes novel insights by encompassing multiple disciplines and Para athlete profiles, offering a comprehensive understanding of age-related performance patterns in elite Para sport.