The Tokyo Paralympics come to an end on Day 12, but not before Team USA has a few final medal opportunities. First up, Daniel Romanchuk, Tatyana McFadden and Susannah Scaroni race in the Paralympic marathons, then the United States plays for gold medals in women's sitting volleyball and men's wheelchair basketball. Finally, the Closing Ceremony caps off the two-week-long festivities with one last celebration before saying goodbye to Tokyo.
Below is a rundown of what to watch on the final day of the Paralympic Games. All events listed below can be streamed live on NBCOlympics.com, and many can also be seen as part of the Olympic Channel and NBCSN broadcasts.
TV Schedule
Event(s) | Time | Network |
---|---|---|
Marathon | 5:30p-9p ET | Olympic Channel (Live Stream) |
NBC Primetime: Paralympic Docuseries | 8p-10p ET | NBC (Live Stream) |
Wheelchair Basketball, Sitting Volleyball | 9p-3a ET | NBCSN (Live Stream) |
Closing Ceremony | 7a-9a ET | NBCSN (Live Stream) |
Live coverage of the final day of the Tokyo Paralympics begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on Olympic Channel with the men's and women's marathons. Competition coverage then continues on NBCSN at 9 p.m. ET with Team USA's gold medal games in men's wheelchair basketball and women's sitting volleyball headlining the action.
If you're interested in learning more about the stories of this year's Paralympians, you'll want to check out the two-hour primetime show on NBC starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Finally, the Tokyo Games draw to a close with a live broadcast of the Closing Ceremony Sunday at 7 a.m. ET on NBCSN.
Marathons
Event | Time | Link |
---|---|---|
Marathons | 5:30 p.m. ET | Live Stream |
The final track & field event of the Paralympic Games is the marathon. Races will be held for five different classifications: two for athletes who race in wheelchairs (men's and women's T54), two for athletes with vision impairments (men's and women's T12), and one for athletes with upper-limb impairments (men's T46).
The United States will have strong medal hopes in the wheelchair races. Daniel Romanchuk and Tatyana McFadden are both accomplished marathoners who have already earned hardware on the track during their time in Tokyo.
Romanchuk, who scored his first Paralympic gold medal last week in the 400m, won four major marathons (Boston, London, Chicago, New York City) in 2019. McFadden, who earned her 20th career Paralympic medal on Friday, was the first athlete—man or woman, able-bodied or with impairment—to ever complete a marathon "Grand Slam" (winning all four of the previously mentioned marathons in one season). She first accomplished the feat in 2013, then went on to do it again each of the next three years.
McFadden's teammate Susannah Scaroni, last week's gold medalist in the 5000m, is another athlete to watch in the women's T54 race.
Unlike the Olympic marathon, which was moved up north to Sapporo because of the heat, the Paralympic marathon will be held in Tokyo and will pass by major landmarks such as Sensoji Temple, Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace.
Sitting Volleyball
Event | Time | Link |
---|---|---|
Women's Gold: USA vs China | 9:00 p.m. ET | Live Stream |
Just as they have at each of the last three Paralympics, the United States and China will play for a gold medal in women's sitting volleyball.
After back-to-back wins by China over the U.S. in 2008 and 2012, the Americans finally got their revenge in 2016 by winning the final in straight sets to claim their first-ever gold medal in the women's event. Although the U.S. entered the Paralympics as the world No. 1, China took over as the gold medal favorite after sweeping the U.S. in a preliminary-round match last week.
The U.S. roster is full of experienced players who have been part of this rivalry for many years—Kaleo Maclay, Heather Erickson, Monique Matthews and Lora Webster are among the members who have been to at least three Paralympics—and they'll be counting on that experience if the U.S. is to defend its gold medal.
Wheelchair Basketball
Event | Time | Link |
---|---|---|
Men's Bronze: Spain vs Great Britain | 9:00 p.m. ET | Live Stream |
Men's Gold: USA vs Japan | 11:30 p.m. ET | Live Stream |
The United States is just one win away from defending its Paralympic title in men's wheelchair basketball. The final test for the Americans will be Japan, the Paralympic host country, in the gold medal game.
Brian Bell, a member of the 2016 gold medal squad, has been Team USA's leading scorer in both of its knockout games. He'll look to help lead the team to another win along with veterans Trevon Jenifer, Jake Williams, Steve Serio and Matt Scott.
Closing Ceremony
Event | Time | Link |
---|---|---|
Closing Ceremony | 7 a.m. ET | Live Stream |
The cauldron will be extinguished and the Paralympic Games will officially conclude with the Closing Ceremony live from Tokyo's Olympic Stadium. What surprises could be in store as the Games bid farewell to Japan and look ahead to Paris 2024?
The U.S. delegation will be led by Matt Scott, who was selected as the flagbearer and will lead a group of around 50 American athletes into the stadium. Scott, a member of the men's wheelchair basketball team, is competing at his fifth Paralympics and is on the verge of winning his third career medal. After winning bronze at London 2012 and gold at Rio 2016, he is assured of at least a silver medal at Tokyo 2020—but will be hoping to leave with another gold. The U.S. plays in wheelchair basketball's gold medal game at 11:30 p.m. ET.