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Why do Team GB and ParalympicsGB run separately?

of ParalympicsGB meet King Charles III at Buckingham PalaceGetty Images

Although they wear very similar kits, Team GB and ParalympicsGB are separate teams and organisations

Emma Smith
BBC Sport journalist

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, 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"Graphic image of, from left to right, Alex Albon, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman. It is on a blue background with 'Fan Q&A' below the drivers " loading="lazy" src="https://image.staticox.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fichef.bbci.co.uk%2Face%2Fstandard%2F480%2Fsprodpb%2F7ff9%2Flive%2Fd42302e0-34b3-11f0-8519-3b5a01ebe413.jpg" width="385" height="216" class="ssrcss-11yxrdo-Image edrdn950"/>

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