Double trouble

When photographer Alex Davidson began photographing goalball, he realized that goalball skills require athletes to cover the goal in a coordinated manner.

“I noticed some activity around the goal and had it in the back of my mind that something like this shot would happen. Christian King and Tyler Merren of Team USA showed a nice symmetry in defending the goal together that seemed to sum up my impressions of the sport well.”

Making Paralympic history

When Zakia Khudadadi was named the first refugee medallist in Paralympic history, photographer Steph Chambers was excited to put the taekwondo athlete in the spotlight – but the moment turned out better than she could have hoped.

“The French fans cheered her on all day because she’s currently living and training in France, so I knew a winning moment from her would be explosive. Little did I know her coach would do most of the celebrating and parading for her!” Chambers tells PEOPLE. “I positioned myself so that I was at a right angle to the Paris 2024 logo on the steps and waited for the celebration and Khudadadi’s expression to match. It all came together to create the perfect moment and was really special to capture.”

Hands up!

Photographer Elsa Garrison was enthralled by the “epic battles” at the net during sitting volleyball and used a close-up lens to capture the players from Teams Canada and Rwanda at the net.

“What I like about this image is that you can see the fingers wrapped in tape – the Paralympics and Team Canada graphics on her nails add to the texture of this image. I worked on it for about half a set to get it just right.”

Jumping for joy

As Team Venezuela’s Rosibel Colmenares competed for gold in the women’s long jump T11 final, photographer Ezra Shaw was impressed by the collaboration required to compete in such an individual event.

“All athletes wear masks over their eyes so everyone is at the same height during the competition, and each athlete has a guide/assistant to help them during the competition. They usually stand right at the start line and shout or clap as the athletes run down the track, and just before they jump, the guides move to the side,” he explains. “It was incredible to see the teamwork between the two. I love the emotion and power expressed in this image and the angle of Colmenares looking head-on into the camera as she lands.”

Medal Magic

Dheva Anrimusthi of Team Indonesia fell on the court with joy after winning the bronze medal in the badminton men’s singles SU5 at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.

Magic on the clay court

Before the grueling Paralympics wheelchair tennis matches officially began, players spent hours on the court training for some of the biggest tournaments of their lives. Photographer Steph Chambers managed to capture this tricky shot of Australia’s Anderson Parker.

“The sun beautifully illuminates the famous red clay court of Roland Garros. I wanted to add an even more interesting touch by creating a reflection,” she says, explaining that she used “pieces of Plexiglas around the venue” to achieve this effect.

The feeling of victory

Kinga Drozdz of Team Poland was over the moon after winning a match won by Chambers in the semifinals of the women’s sabre Category A.

“Fencing is full of explosive emotions after every point, but the best reaction comes after the moment of victory.”

Eyes on the ball

Photographer Naomi Baker used a remote camera installed in the roof of the Bercy Arena to capture this shot of Team Spain’s Ignacio Ortega as he and Team USA’s Jorge Salazar waited to see if his shot would go in during a men’s wheelchair basketball group stage match.

“It was really fun to show a different perspective on the sport,” Baker said. “The timing is perfect to see the athletes back to back ready to go and their faces through the basket. I think it’s a really powerful image and one of my favorites from the Games so far!”

The armless archer in action

Matt Stutzman of the U.S. team – known as the “Armless Archer” – fulfilled a years-long dream at these Paralympics when he won the gold medal in archery on Sunday, September 1.

“It was remarkable and extraordinary to accompany Matt Stutzman of the US team to gold on the Esplanade des Invalides,” says Davidson. “I wanted to capture his accuracy, power, concentration and the art of archery in a single image.”

“I noticed that Stutzman’s head turned ever so slightly in my direction as he fired the arrow, which was critical to getting the photo I wanted. All the elements fell into place and Stutzman was looking directly into my lens, which is quite unusual in this sport. The arrow in flight fits well in the frame and his facial expression says it all to me – lost in his own world of concentration and focus.”

Sister, sister

In the final of the women’s 100-meter breaststroke SB14 on Monday, September 2, it was sister against sister: Debora Borges Carneiro and Beatriz Borges Carneiro from Brazil swam to silver and bronze, respectively.

“I love the sense of action and direction you get from the bubbles and the deep blue color, but also the feeling and calm this image conveys just before they break the surface and you hear the roar of the crowd,” says photographer Adam Pretty.

Ball handling

Chambers captured this photo of Team Japan’s Taichi Hirabayashi carrying the ball against Team Colombia’s Jhon Alexander Hernandez Garcia in a preliminary round match.

“Blind football is unlike anything I’ve ever photographed before,” she says. “The players listen to the clatter of the ball as it bounces off the sidelines and whizzes across the field. I wanted to get a clear picture of the players holding the ball above the logo in the middle. I had to wait a bit, but luckily the ball went to the right place.”

Sprint to the finish

As Gordon Allan, Alistair Donohoe and Korey Boddington took the bronze medal in the final of the track cycling 750m team sprint (open C1-5), Garrison noticed that she could catch her reflection in one spot in the glass.

“In Team Sprint, the cyclists are standing close together shortly after the race starts and I knew I only had one shot to get the image I wanted,” she explains. “I framed the shot in a way that I thought would look best and waited until they came around the corner. To make it work, the cyclists had to be standing close together. To capture that moment, I used a wide-angle lens.”

Feeling golden!

After watching Geraldo dos Santos Araujo at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Pretty Gabriel knew the swimmer was “a star athlete with a great personality.”

“So I wanted to try to capture some of his emotions and reactions after his race,” the S2 final in the men’s 100-meter backstroke, which Araujo won.

“I was actually on the underwater robotic camera for this session, so I was only able to photograph him as he came out of the pool after winning the gold medal,” says Pretty. “The atmosphere in Paris is electric, the best I’ve ever experienced at a Paralympic Games, and Gabriel was celebrating wildly with the fans.”

Full speed ahead

Team Australia’s Jaryd Clifford, the world record holder in the men’s 1500m T13, was photographed here by Baker as he led at one point in the 2024 Paralympics final but was unable to hold that position, finishing fourth in a close finish. Aleksandr Kostin, competing in the Neutral Paralympic Athletes (NPA) delegation, took gold, while Rouay Jebabli of Tunisia took second and Anton Kuliatin, also competing under the NPA, took bronze.

“I wanted to show movement and speed during the men’s 1500m T13 final, so I chose a side angle to use a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the athletes,” says Baker. “I also love how colorful this image is.”

Shot put scream

Baker says she was on another part of the field at the Stade de France when shot putter Sawsen Ben Mbarek caused a stir.

“I was filming the long jump competition nearby and heard Sawsen Ben Mbarek screaming and seeing how much effort she put into each throw. That really caught my attention,” says Baker. “I really wanted to show the exuberance and emotion, but also the technique of the sport and her approach. Here you really see the power and strength behind the throw.”

Gold on gold

“Every night throughout the Paralympics, the team at Getty Images will project the best moments from the Games onto buildings, walls and famous landmarks across Paris as part of a project called Parisienne Projections,” explains Davidson.

On Sunday 1 September, French swimmer and gold medallist Emeline Pierre, who won the S10 final in the women’s 100m freestyle, was pictured and Davidson snapped a photo of the moment when she was seen directly beneath the Eiffel Tower.

“What better way to celebrate a great French victory than to place it against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower,” he says. “The image was taken from the Pont de Bir-Hakeim and with a little work to find the right size for the projection, it fit the architecture of the bridge perfectly. The cardboard cutout of Emeline Pierre hugs the arch. She stretches her arms out to hug the tower. The French flag flies in just the right place in the background. It makes for a joyful French, Parisian and Paralympic celebration, and that’s what this project is all about.”