The Paris Paralympic Games kicked off on Wednesday, August 28. "The first match has come to an end, the second match is about to get underway and offer us equally strong emotions," Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee told Le Monde. In reality, these two back-to-back competitions aren't quite the same. We have listed at least seven differences, some of which are now being ironed out.

The origin: Two stories, half a century apart

Inspired by ancient Greek tradition, the Olympic Games were reborn in their modern form in Athens in 1896, under the impetus of Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. In 1924, a winter edition was added in Chamonix, in the French Alps.

The Paralympics, on the other hand, originated in Stoke Mandeville, a military hospital north of London, in 1948. German neurologist Ludwig Guttmann came up with a way of encouraging physical exercise among his paraplegic patients, victims and veterans of the Second World War. He organized the first World Wheelchair and Amputee Games, which later became the Stoke Mandeville Games.

The ninth Stoke Mandeville Games, held in Rome in 1960, a week after the Olympic Games, are considered to be the first Paralympic Games in the true sense of the word. Sixteen years later, in 1976, the winter version was held in Sweden.

The route of the Paris 2024 torch relay is a reminder of this historic legacy. The Paralympic flame left Stoke Mandeville before going through France from August 25 to 28. The Olympic flame originates from the ancient site of Olympia, Greece.

The symbols: Two logos, two mottos and two hymns

Designed by De Coubertin in 1913, the five Olympic rings represent the five continents. Their colors recall the various nations' flags.

It took 28 years for the Paralympics to acquire official representation. Since its creation in 1988, the emblem has undergone several evolutions and symbolizes "movement," according to the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). Initially, it consisted of five shapes using the colors of the Olympic rings. In 1994, only three shapes (one red, one blue and one green) were retained, to differentiate it from the Olympic logo. These were then refined in 2004, becoming comma-like shapes known as "agitos" (the Latin word agito meaning "I move").

In addition to the rings, the motto "Faster, Higher, Stronger" is also reserved for the Olympics. The Paralympic Games have their own motto: "Spirit in Motion." As well as the "Anthem of the Future," composed by Frenchman Thierry Darnis and written by Australian songwriter Graeme Connors, which differs from the Olympic anthem.

On the other hand, during this edition, both competitions share the same Paris 2024 emblem: a golden circle with a white flame inside.

Location: Toward a single host city and shared sites

Until 1988, the Olympic and Paralympic Games were not always held in the same city or country. In 1968, the Summer Olympics were held in Mexico, while the Winter Olympics were held in Israel; in 1980, the Winter Games were split between the United States and Norway.

Seoul was the first city to host both Games, in the summer of 1988. The next Winter Games were held in the French city of Albertville, in 1992. The International Olympic and Paralympic Committees then signed the "One Bid, One City" agreement, which came into force in 2008 to ensure that the host cities would always host both Games, and offer the same competition infrastructure and facilities, such as the Olympic Village, catering and medical care. This is the case for Paris 2024.

Ceremony venues are not necessarily the same. The Paris 2024 Olympics were launched with a spectacular 6-kilometer performance down the Seine to the Trocadéro, while the Paralympics opening ceremony, also not in a stadium, runs down the Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde.

The dates: A shifted calendar

The Paralympics are held in the same year as their Olympic counterpart, but not simultaneously. According to an agreement reached in 2001, "the Paralympic Games from 2008 [will] always take place shortly after the Olympic Games."

Seventeen days separate the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. During this time, the competition venues are being prepared to host the next events.

Does this time gap render invisible the Paralympic athletes who arrive after the Olympic festivities? On the official Paris 2024 website, IPC President Andrew Parsons defends another approach: "The Paralympic Games are a unique time to celebrate Paralympic athletes. It’s their moment! If the two events were merged, these athletes' exceptional performances would be normalized or get drowned out, when they deserve our full attention."

The organizing committee explains that the logistics and costs of staging a joint event would be "immense," as the Olympic village and transport service would have to be adapted, "the number of facilities [...] doubled," and "the length of the Games would have to increase to a month‑long event without any breaks." As for the option of staging the Paralympics before the Olympics, Parsons rules this out, as it would "be seen as a test run."

Competitive sports: Adapted and specific disciplines

Whether it's wheelchair fencing, wheelchair basketball, para-rowing or para-athletics, paralympic disciplines are, for the most part, variations on those practiced at the Olympic Games.

Some sports are very similar, such as para-judo for the visually impaired and blind, where the only difference is that athletes must be in contact with their opponent's clothing before the fight.

Most of the time, adaptations are made to the equipment – as in para-archery (compound bow) and cycling (classic bike, handbike, tandem or tricycle) – or to the rules – in para-taekwondo (strikes only on the torso) and wheelchair tennis (the ball can bounce twice). While dribbling and walking have been adapted for wheelchair basketball, baskets remain at 3.05 m, the same height as for LeBron James.

Other sports are very different. Wheelchair rugby isn't played with a rugby ball but a volleyball, on a basketball court, with the possibility of passing forward (but the collisions between wheelchairs are as impressive as the tackles). Volleyball is played seated, on a smaller court and with a lower net, as players have to keep their buttocks or backs to the ground.

Two sports are specific to the Paralympics: boccia – a kind of petanque, usually played in a wheelchair, sometimes with assistance – and goalball – a collective ball sport played mainly lying on the ground and with a mask over the eyes.

The number of events and participants: Figures that differ

The Paralympic Games are much denser than the Olympic Games, with 549 events in 23 disciplines, due to the many disability categories. The Olympic Games, on the other hand, feature 329 events in over 40 disciplines.

The fact that so many Paralympic competitions can be held in 11 days, compared with 16 for the Olympic Games, is due to the fact that there is half the number of participants (10,500 for the Olympic Games, around 4,400 for the Paralympic Games).

For the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee announced strict gender equality between athletes – even if it wasn't achieved perfectly. For the Paralympics, the IPC provided 339 more places for men. Blind football, for example, is exclusively for men.

Medals: Two types of design

While the system of gold, silver and bronze medals is the same for both competitions, the design is different. For the Olympic Games, one side is adorned with the famous rings and a representation of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike; for the Paralympics, the agitos symbol is inserted in the center of a view of the Eiffel Tower, with "Paris 2024" written in braille. The other side of the medals is identical, with the same insertion of a piece of the Eiffel Tower.

Since the 2012 London Olympics, guides (para-athletics, para-triathlon, para-cycling and para-triathlon) who accompany visually impaired or blind competitors are also rewarded with a medal when the athlete finishes on the podium. However, they must never cross the finish line before the person they are accompanying.