The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony
French President Emmanuel Macron officially began the 2024 Paralympics in Paris on Thursday (IST), kicking off 11 days of competition in a city still recovering from the success of the Olympics. For the first time, a Paralympic opening ceremony has taken place outside of the main stadium, at the sunny Place de la Concorde in central Paris. Macron declared the Games open amid an energetic and colorful celebration.
30,000 spectators crammed into the seats surrounding the plaza cheered and gave standing ovations for host nation France as the 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations paraded into the stadium as the sun sank.
The July 26 Olympic opening ceremony was marred by severe rain, which stood in stark contrast to the beautiful weather.
Among the highlights was a touching performance of the song “My Ability” by French artist Lucky Love, who is missing his left arm below the elbow. The performance was surrounded by dancers who were able-bodied and impaired.
Before Macron formally proclaimed the Games open, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons expressed his wish for a “inclusion revolution” to the athletes and fans.
The cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens, which has been immensely popular since its Olympic debut, will be lit when the ritual comes to a close.
The Paralympics, which run until September 8, will take place at 18 of the 35 Olympic sites, including the grand Grand Palais and the Stade de France.
Since the Olympics, ticket sales have increased, and according to the organizers, more than two million of the 2.5 million available tickets have been sold, with many venues being sold out.
There’s obvious symbolism in having the Paralympic event in the heart of the French capital, whose Metro system, in particular, is entirely unsuited to wheelchair users’ needs, according to theatre director Thomas Jolly, who managed the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
A expects nation
Riding high on the triumph of its Olympic team, host nation France hopes to improve significantly on its 11 gold medal haul from 2021, which placed it in 14th place in the medal standings.
Powerhouse China, which won 96 gold medals at the last Paralympics in Tokyo, is returning with a sizable team.The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony
Despite the difficulties they encounter in training while the conflict against Russian forces rages at home, Ukraine, which has a reputation for being among the top medal-winning countries at the Paralympics, has sent a squad of 140 athletes to compete in 17 sports.
Due to the invasion of Ukraine, 96 athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete under neutral flags, however they are not allowed to attend the opening or closing ceremonies.
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