The Summer Paralympics start on Wednesday with the opening ceremony set to kick off the 11 days of competition that will follow in Paris. The games will feature 549 medal events across 22 sports, but the interest in Alabama should be concentrated on one – wheelchair basketball.
The University of Alabama Adapted Athletics program is not only providing four current players and one alumnus for the United States women’s wheelchair basketball team, but it has players seeded on other national squads as well.
In addition, Alabama women’s wheelchair basketball coach Ryan Hynes is serving as an assistant coach for the United States team.
And it’s not all Crimson Tide for Team USA. The U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball coach is Robb Taylor, who is the wheelchair basketball coach at Auburn.
The U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team is in Preliminary Round Group B with the Netherlands, Japan and Germany to open the eight-team tournament. The United States women tip off their schedule against Germany on Friday.
The U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team is in Preliminary Round Group B with the Netherlands, Spain and Australia to open the eight-team tournament. The United States men tip off their schedule against Spain on Thursday.
The U.S. men’s wheelchair basketball team features Brian Bell, a Birmingham native who is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist already has a member of the United States team in 2016 and 2020.
The opening ceremony starts at 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday. USA Network will televise the event.
Summer Paralympic athletes with Alabama connections include:
AUSTRALIA
· Jannik Blair, men’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
CANADA
· Bo Hedges, men’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Rosalie Lalonde, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Cindy Ouelett, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Thomas Venos, men’s wheelchair tennis (Alabama)
· Arinn “Juice” Young, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
GERMANY
· Catha Weiss, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Annika Zeyen, handbike (Alabama)
GREAT BRITAIN
· Joy Haizelden, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Laurie Williams, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
SPAIN
· Ignacio Ortega, men’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
UNITED STATES
· Abby Bauleke, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Brian Bell, men’s wheelchair basketball (Birmingham native)
· Clayton Brackett, men’s wheelchair rugby (UAB)
· Ixhelt Gonzalez, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Bailey Moody, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Emily Oberst, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
· Zion Redington, men’s wheelchair rugby (Lakeshore Foundation in Birmingham)
· Lindsey Zurbrugg, women’s wheelchair basketball (Alabama)
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.