PARIS (AP) — Just weeks after hosting the Olympic Games, Paris began the final chapter of its sporting summer on Wednesday with Opening ceremony From the Paralympics.
French President Emmanuel Macron officially declared the Games open in a ceremony outside the stadium, just as he did when the Olympics opened in the city on July 26.
Against a backdrop of sunset, thousands of athletes walked down the famous Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde in central Paris.
Some 50,000 people watched the opening ceremony in stands set up around the famous square, which is the largest in Paris and can be seen from afar thanks to its ancient Egyptian obelisk. Access for athletes in wheelchairs was facilitated by strips of asphalt running along the street and over the square.
More than 4,000 athletes with physical, visual and intellectual disabilities will compete in 22 Sports From Thursday until September 8th.
Watched by Macron and International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, fighter jets roared into the sky, trailing red, white and blue fumes in the colours of the French national flag, before delegations entered the arena in alphabetical order.
Some delegations were large — more than 250 athletes from Brazil — and some were small — less than a handful of athletes from Barbados and just three from Myanmar.
Although the show on Wednesday night began at 8 p.m. local time, fans had gathered hours earlier under the blazing sun to grab the best seats along the route. As performers entertained the crowds on stage, volunteers danced alongside Paralympic athletes waving their national flags, and the sky lit up in a perfect orange glow.
The Ukrainian delegation received a standing ovation, and some of the audience stood to applaud them.
The French delegation was the last to arrive at the venue amid cheers from the crowd who sang along to popular French songs, including “Que Je T’aime” by the late Johnny Hallyday.
French singer Lucky Love, who lost his left arm at birth, was joined by performers in wheelchairs as he performed on stage. Then, as the national anthem played, the obelisk was lit up in the colours of the French flag.
Organizers had promised another spectacular show to open the Games. Once again the show was held outside the stadium, but unlike the soaked in the rain The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was held on 26 July, which included a boat parade on the River Seine, while the Paralympic Games ceremony was held exclusively on land.
Organizers say more than 2 million people attended. From 2.8 million Tickets for various Paralympic events are sold out.
Tony Estanguet, President of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, described the Paralympic athletes as “great champions who we are honoured to be with tonight.”
the The first medals were distributed on Thursday. The Olympic Games will include taekwondo, table tennis, swimming and cycling. Athletes are classified by disability level to ensure as equal a chance as possible. Only two sports, goalball and boccia, do not have an Olympic counterpart.
Parsons said the large crowds expected in Paris would mean a lot to the athletes, many of whom competed in front of empty stands at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Parsons expressed hope that the Paralympics would serve as a “powerful force for good” amid ongoing global tensions.
The closing ceremony will be held at the Stade de France, the national stadium.
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Paralympic Games AP: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games