Based on the linked source; automatically prepared and checked against the original report.
Study scope
Researchers analyzed official results from five Paralympic Games: Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. The retrospective cohort included 878 athletes, comprising 356 females and 522 males. The analysis compared age by sex, sport class, medal status, Games edition and weapon type, covering épée, foil and sabre.
Main age differences
Average ages did not significantly differ between male athletes, at 35 years, and female athletes, at 33 years. Class B athletes were older than class A athletes among both males and females. Non-medalists were also older than medalists, indicating that age differences were associated with sport class and competitive achievement in the analyzed results.
Stable patterns across events
Age did not significantly differ between the Paralympic editions or among the three weapon types. Most athletes were older than 30, with this pattern especially pronounced among female competitors. The researchers concluded that age-related performance was broadly similar between male and female athletes and remained stable across Paralympic cycles, while classification and competitive level helped explain differences.
