All Google Doodles for Paris Paralympics 2024 explained

Following on from the Olympics series, daily artworks take inspiration from the French capital, athletes and sports

This animated Doodle celebrates the conclusion of the 2024 Summer Games. Photo: Google

Google has been honouring the Paralympics Games in Paris by releasing special Doodles. In a similar style to the Olympics series, the artworks have looked towards landmarks in the French capital, athletes or sports for inspiration.

The Games finish on Sunday, September 8. Here is a list of all the Google Doodles.

August 28: Paris Paralympics begins

Similar to the first Doodle that appeared on July 26 to mark the start of the Olympics in the French capital, this one features animated birds soaring high in the sky around the famed golden-topped obelisk at the centre of Place de la Concorde.

August 29: French cultural figures and Paralympic sports

Google launched another update to its Most Searched Playground, a game in which users try to spot as many features of Paris and the Paralympics in a park. To play, users navigate through the playground looking for hidden items listed in the game's titles. The items range from popular sports featured in the Paralympics to French landmarks and even refer to Greek mythology and the origins of the Olympics.

August 30: Wheelchair basketball

The animated Doodle celebrates wheelchair basketball by showing a Paralympic basketball-playing bird taking a shot into a green basket as others cheer. Wheelchair basketball was one of the eight sports staged at the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome 1960.

August 31: Wheelchair racing

Wheelchair racing, one of the most popular Paralympic events, is highlighted in the animated Doodle with Paralympian birds in wheelchairs racing each other down a Parisian street as spectators watch. Wheelchair racing and athletics have been a part of the Paralympics since 1960.

September 1: Para Archery

Para Archery is featured in an animated Doodle, in which a Paralympian bird is seen firing forks on a Parisian road at a street sign, on which another bird is sleeping – though is promptly woken up by the fork's impact on the sign.

The sport, which has been a part of every Paralympics since 1960, separates competitors into three categories: wheelchair and cerebral palsy athletes who are impaired in all four limbs; wheelchair users with full arm function and standing athletes in amputee and cerebral palsy categories.

September 3: Wheelchair tennis

Two birds in wheelchairs are shown hitting an acorn back and forth in the animated Doodle to signify the start of wheelchair tennis at Roland-Garros, which also hosts the French Open.

The sport was invented in 1976 and was part of the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics. Wheelchair tennis event categories include men's singles, women's singles, quad singles, men's doubles, women's doubles and quad doubles.

September 5: Para Powerlifting

Para Powerlifting is celebrated with an animated Doodle that shows a Paralympian bird lifting a stick of bread, while a little bird friend sits on top of it and also happens to be eating bread.

Weightlifting became a Paralympic sport at the 1964 Tokyo Games, but powerlifting was not included until the 1984 Games. Powerlifting differs from weightlifting in that it involves athletes receiving the bar at arms-length, lowering it to their chest until it is motionless, before pressing it back upwards evenly.

September 7: Para Equestrian

Google has put up a new Doodle to celebrate Para Equestrian at the Chateau de Versailles. The illustration shows an animated Paralympic bird pulling the reins of a horse.

Equestrian made its debut at 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. It is open to athletes with any type of physical or vision impairment. Events are mixed and grouped according to their functional profiles. Athletes can compete in dressage events, a championship test of set movements and a freestyle test to music. There is also a team test that involves three to four members.

September 8

Celebrating the conclusion of the Games, Google's final Doodle shows three Paralympian birds in podium positions across traditional Parisian-style street lights. After 11 days of sporting action, the closing ceremony takes place at the Stade de France on Sunday.

Following the athlete parade, Paris will pass the baton to Los Angeles, which will host the next Paralympic Summer Games in 2028.