Events – Two (men's & women's tournaments)
Classification – Teams play with a variety of impairments. To be eligible to play, basketball players must have a physical limitation that prevents them from being able to run, pivot, or jump at speed and with control, safety, stability and endurance of a non-disabled players.
Players are ranked according to their functional ability from 1 to 4.5 points. With one being most impaired and 4.5 being the least impaired. Teams are allowed a combined 14 points on the court at any one time.
Venue – Bercy Arena, normally known as the Accor Arena. Also used in the Olympic Games for artistic and trampoline gymnastics and for the medal matches for basketball.
Tokyo Recap – The United States picked up two medals winning gold in the men's tournament and bronze in the women's.
In the men's tournament it was a tight finish, with the USA using pulling away in the fourth after a resurgent Japanese team nearly pulled them back. Great Britain won the bronze comfortably getting past Spain.
The Netherlands dominated the women's tournament from the first tip-off and cruised to a gold medal win beating China 50-31 in the gold medal match. The bronze was tighter, but barely, as the Americans, shocked by China in the semifinal, took their frustrations out on Germany in a 64-51 win.
Schedule: August 29 – September 8 with the medals awarded on the seventh and eighth.
Paris Expectations
The two defending champions will go in as the favorites again in Paris. Both the United States (men) and the Netherlands (women) won their respective world championships last year and come in as the world number ones.
Great Britain has been a growing force in men's wheelchair basketball, coming second in the world championship and they'll be looking for a medal in Paris. But that final medal is open, with any of the other teams possible. The Netherlands could well do medals in both tournaments, or Canada could claim a medal here. Australia could also be an outside chance at a medal, stunning Iran to qualify.
Iran came third at the world championships but won't be in Paris, the most high profile victims of the IPC's desire to make the team sports smaller.
On the women's side it could well be the same trio as in Tokyo as those three finished in the same order again at the World Championships last summer. Japan and Great Britain would be the most likely outsiders to medal.
Event photos courtesy of OIS
Venue photo courtesy of City of Paris
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