Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 Collegiate Qualified List

Fireworks over the roof during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on September 18, 2016. (Photo by Getty Images)

More than half of the athletes on the 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team competed collegiately. There are many methods used to name athletes to the Paralympic team, some are determined by NGBs/high performance management organizations, and others are named through a process established by the international federation. The most common ways collegiate athletes will punch their tickets to Tokyo include:


  • World and overall ranking: during the competitive season, an athlete’s world or domestic ranking may qualify them to compete in Tokyo. Tennis is an example that qualifies athletes through world rankings.
  • Team selection: most team sports will select their teams from a pool of hopefuls – oftentimes this occurs through a series of camps and tournaments where evaluations take place and may span the full quad. Sports that have team selections with a combination of objective and discretionary criteria include wheelchair basketball and rowing.
  • Paralympic trials: several sports will host a Paralympic trials wherein the top athletes from across the nation will compete against one another to qualify for the Paralympics. Sports that qualify athletes through Paralympic trials include Para track and field, Para swimming and archery.
  • USOPC approval: All selections and qualifications to the Paralympic Team must be approved by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Please use the below database to see whether your school or conference had athletes qualify to represent Team USA in Tokyo.

Please note athletes alternates and replacement athletes do not become Paralympians until they step on the field of play and compete for Team USA at a Paralympic Games.

  • Tokyo 2020 U.S. Paralympics Qualified List

    NOTE: For a full collegiate breakdown of the 2020 U.S. Paralympic Team, please review the below database.

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  • Tokyo 2020 U.S. Paralympics Qualified List Map

    Click below to see the geographical distribution of athletes

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Tokyo 2020 Collegiate Resources#