A positive year for ParalympicsGB, in which the team won 124 medals at Paris 2024, has ended on something of a sour note. Athletes criticised luxury department store Fortnum & Mason for holding a party for Olympians, following a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes - but not inviting any Paralympians. Paralympic sprinter Zac Shaw called this "hurtful" in a viral social media post, while Para-cyclist Archie Atkinson told BBC Sport it was “disrespectful”.
Fortnum & Mason has apologised for the "mistake" and said a separate Paralympics event is being organised. In his post, , external Shaw said it was a symptom of a "wider issue" of how disabled athletes are treated differently in sport. "Why is it Team GB and ParalympicsGB? Why don't we compete under the same name," he asked.
This was a question asked by several other Paralympians. Gold-medal winning sprinter Jonnie Peacock wrote on X: "Is it finally about time Team GB and ParalympicsGB think about merging? Can only imagine improving equality would be easier?" That might also be a common question for those not familiar with the nuances of sports governance. The two teams wore very similar kit at Paris 2024 for example, save for the differing Olympic and Paralympic logos.
They do have some connections - notably a shared office space in Fitzrovia, central London - and they have also shared facilities at Games previously. Most nations have separate organisations for their Olympic and Paralympic teams.
