Athletics at the 2004 Summer Paralympics included 17 events for men and 15 events for women, in 5 disciplines. Athletes competed in one of four disability categories:
A National Paralympic Committee (NPC) is a national constituent of the worldwide Paralympic movement. Subject to the controls of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), NPCs are responsible for organizing their people's participation in the Paralympic Games.
Rwanda has competed in eight Summer Games. They have never competed in the Winter Games.
Lesotho first participated at the Olympic Games in 1972 and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except when they boycotted the 1976 Summer Olympics along with most other African nations. Lesotho has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games.
China competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, held in Athens, Greece. The country topped the medal table for the first time.
Samoa competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens. The country was represented by two athletes, both competing in track and field. Neither won a medal.
Israeli athletes have participated in the Paralympic Games since 1960. At the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Israelis won four gold medals.
Lesotho sent a delegation to compete at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, People's Republic of China. According to official records, the country's only athlete was female runner Thato Mohasoa.
Absent at the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, Japan made its Paralympic début by hosting the 1964 Games in Tokyo. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, and in every edition of the Winter Paralympics since the first in 1976. It has hosted the Paralympic Games twice, with Tokyo hosting the 1964 Summer Games, and Nagano the 1998 Winter Paralympics.The next Summer Paralympics in 2020 will be held again in Tokyo. Japan is represented by the Japan Paralympic Committee.
Romania made its Paralympic Games début at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, sending a single representative to compete in table tennis. He was eliminated in his first match. The country was then absent from the Paralympics until the 1996 Summer Games, where it was again represented by a single competitor. Romania was represented again by just one athlete in 2000, and two in 2004, but sent a larger delegation of five athletes to the 2008 Summer Games. Its most recent participation in the Paralympics was also its first in the Winter Games, in 2010. Its sole representative was Laura Valeanu, who entered two events in alpine skiing.
Venezuela competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included sixteen athletes—fourteen men and two women. Venezuelan competitors won four medals, three silver and one bronze, to finish sixty-first in the medal table.
Lesotho competed at the 2000 Summer Paralympics. Making their Paralympic debut at the Sydney, Australia hosted Games, they were represented by two athletes.
South Africa competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 51 athletes, 31 men and 20 women. Competitors from South Africa won 35 medals, including 15 gold, 13 silver and 7 bronze to finish 13th in the medal table.
Italy competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 76 athletes, 62 men and 14 women. Competitors from Italy won 19 medals, including 4 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze to finish 31st in the medal table.
Poland competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. The team included 104 athletes, 70 men and 34 women. Competitors from Poland won 54 medals, including 10 gold, 25 silver and 19 bronze to finish 18th in the medal table.
Lesotho competed at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London, United Kingdom from August 29 to September 9, 2012.
Lesotho sent a delegation to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 7 to 18 September 2016. This was the fifth time the country competed in the Summer Paralympic Games after it made its debut sixteen years prior at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. The delegation to Rio de Janeiro consisted of two athletes: sprinter Sello Mothebe and discus thrower Litsitso Khotele. Mothebe originally came third in the heats of the men's 200 metres T12 and the men's 400 metres T12 events but he was retroactively disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance. Khotele ranked tenth in the women's discus throw F43–44 competition with a throw of 19.91 metres.
