HAS ANYONE EVER COMPETED IN BOTH THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMPICS?

The 2024 Paris Paralympics are taking place between August 28 and September 8.

The Games are taking centre stage just over two weeks since the Olympic games wrapped-up in the French capital, with thousands of paralympians eyeing glory in their respective events.

The first Olympic Games were held in 1896, while the Paralympics began in 1960.

And over the years, several athletes have competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics – let’s take a look at some of those in the exclusive club.

Who has competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics?

There have been 15 people who have competed in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Some were Olympians who later competed in the Paralympics for a variety of reasons. One of the competitors has also won medals in both events.

Here are some athletes who have participated at both Games over the years.

Neroli Fairhall

Neroli Fairhall MBE hailed from New Zealand and was the first paraplegic and disabled competitor in the Olympics. She won one Paralympics gold medal.

She was injured in a motorcycle accident when she was just 25 and became paralysed from the waist down.

It wasn’t until being encouraged byNew Zealand’s renowned disabled athlete, Eve Rimmer, that Neroli discovered her talent as an archer.

She competed in Archery in the 1980 Arnhem Paralympics, before being accepted to be compete in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The skilled athlete later competed in the 1988 Seoul and 2000 Sydney Paralympics.

Pal Szekeres

Pal Szekeres is a Hungarian fencer who is currently the only person to have won medals at both the Olympics and Paralympics – a bronze in the Olympics and six gold and bronze medals in the Paralympics.

Initially a competitor in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the athlete won a bronze medal in the team foil.

However, as he was training for the next Olympic Games, he was involved in a bus accident in 1991. It resulted in Pal becoming wheelchair-bound, but he didn’t let it stop him from continuing to pursue fencing.

He began training for the Paralympics and competed in the 1992 Barcelona event where he also won a gold medal. He later competed in the 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing and finally the 2012 London Paralympics.

Paola Fantato

Paola Fantato was the first athlete to compete in the Olympics and Paralympics in the same year. The Italian archer did this at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

She is a Polio survivor and was paralysed at just eight years old. She has used a wheelchair since.

During her time competing, she won a total of 8 medals in the Paralympics. Five gold medals were won, along with one silver and two bronze medals.

As well as the 1996 Games, she participated in the 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, 2000 Sydney and the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.

Marla Runyan

Marla Runyan became the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics.

The American athlete has won five Paralympic gold medals and has participated in an array of events including long jump, 100, 200 and 400 metre races and cycling.

She competed in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, and later the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympics.

Natalia Partyka

Natalia Partyka is a Polish table tennis player and a renowned Paralympics and Olympics competitor.

She was born without a right hand but competed in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics when she was just 11 years old, and was the youngest Paralympian in the sport’s history.

During her time competing in the Paralympics so far, she has won five gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal, while she reached the last 32 of the Olympic event in 2012.

Oscar Pistorius

Pistorius is arguably the most well-known duel Olympian and Paralympian of all time – but this is now not what the South African is best-known for.

The 37 year-old, who had both of his legs amputated when he was just 11 months old due to fibular hemimelia, has won eight Paralympic medals with five of his six golds coming in the 100m, 200m and 400m.

Pistorius became the first debut amputee runner to feature at an Olympic games at London 2012, eventually finishing eighth and last in the 400m semi-finals, before being chosen to carry the South African flag in the closing ceremony.

But in 2015, Pistorius was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, having shot her dead at home in February 2013.

Pistorius, who has maintained that he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder, was released from prison in January 2024 after serving just over half of his sentence.

Pepo Puch

Pepo Puch is an Austrian equestrian rider who initially participated in the 2004 Olympics.

A freak riding accident left him with incomplete paraplegia and he chose to retrain as a Paralympics dressage rider.

He has since won two gold medals, one silver one bronze medal at the Paralympics over the years at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics.

Ilke Wyludda

German discus thrower Ilke Wyludda competed in the 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. She has won one Olympic gold medal over the years.