The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and World Para Sports have announced they are seeking partners to take over governance of Para athletics, Para swimming, or both.
These organizations first called for Expressions of Interest (ROI) in 2021, which began the transfer of governance process. This was followed by a period of exclusive negotiations with the City of Manchester and UK Sport. Notably, Manchester played host to the 2023 Para Swimming World Championships. In June 2023, shortly before the meet, UK Sport shared that after receiving 12 EOIs, the IPC announced UK Sport and the British Paralympic Association (BPA) as its preferred partners.
In its call for new EOIs, the IPC said those discussions with the City of Manchester and UK Sport are ongoing but no longer exclusive, and the organization is encouraging other parties to submit proposals. Cities, national governments, sport organizations, and other interested organizations are welcome to submit EOIs until 27 June.
Para athletics and Para swimming are currently part of World Para Sports, a group of international Para sports governed by the IPC and based in Bonn, Germany at the IPC Headquarters.
The IPC states that Para athletics is the largest Paralympic sport measuring by both participation and medal events. Para swimming is the second-largest sport at the Games. It accounted for 25% of the medal events and 13% of the athletes at the 2024 Paris Paralympics. Both Para athletics and Para swimming have been on the Paralympics’ program since the Games’ first edition in 1960.
In April, the IPC announced that the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games smashed previous viewership and broadcast records. The overall number of hours broadcast for the Games were up too, and a record 169 delegations participated.
