Phot Credit: ParalympicsGB
Paralympic medallist, Terry Bywater has been selected as flagbearer for ParalympicsGB at the Paris 2024 Opening Ceremony on the eve of what is set to be his seventh Paralympic Games.
The Middlesbrough-born wheelchair basketball player now joins an elite group of athletes who have carried the flag for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Paralympic Games. He will proudly parade alongside Lucy Shuker in this prestigious celebration of the world’s greatest athletes.
Bywater made his Paralympic debut at the Sydney 2000 Games at the age of just 17. Since then, he has accumulated four Paralympic bronze medals over a remarkable 24-year career.
Selected from a pool of 217 athletes across all sports, the flagbearers are chosen through a vote by their fellow athletes.
The Opening Ceremony takes place at Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées on August 28th, getting underway at 7pm UK time. Channel 4 will be covering all the action live. The wheelchair basketball competition begins the following day, with GB competing in a thrilling opener as both squads are in action.
On his selection, Terry commented:
“It’s another dream come true. I have to keep pinching myself… doesn’t feel real right now. We’re here at the GB House just starting all the media today. Huge thank you to everyone involved, this is massive for me personally. Also to my family, my wife Jodie, my son Benjamin. I’m going to be carrying the flag for my country at the biggest sporting event in the world – it’s a dream.”
British Wheelchair Basketball CEO, Justine Baynes, said: “Terry Bywater’s selection as flagbearer for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games is a testament to his extraordinary dedication, skill, and leadership within our sport. Over the past two decades, Terry has not only excelled on the court but has also been an incredible ambassador for wheelchair basketball and for Paralympic sport as a whole. We are immensely proud of all he has achieved, and this honour is richly deserved.”
Watching from home? We’ll be covering all the action across our social media channels, so make sure to follow us to keep up to date with the GB squads.
View the full wheelchair basketball schedule here: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/paralympic-games/schedule/wheelchair-basketball
