Paralympic Games opening ceremony starts final chapter on a long summer of sport in Paris
PARIS — Just Paris inaugurated the 2024.
weeks after hosting the Paralympics on Wednesday with.
Olympics, Paris inaugurated the a nearly four-hour-long opening.
2024 Paralympics on Wednesday ceremony in the heart.
with a nearly four-hour-long of the city. Against.
opening ceremony in the the backdrop of a.
heart of the city. setting sun, thousands of.
About in stands built around. 50,000 people watched the the iconic square, which. ceremony in stands built is the biggest in. around the iconic square, Paris and is visible. which is the biggest from afar because of. in Paris and is its ancient Egyptian Obelisk.. visible from afar because Accessibility for athletes in. of its ancient Egyptian wheelchairs was facilitated with. Obelisk. Accessibility for athletes strips of asphalt laid. in wheelchairs was facilitated along the avenue and. with strips of asphalt placed over the square.. laid along the avenue More than 4,000 athletes. and placed over the with physical, visual and. square.
More than 4,000 intellectual impairments will compete. athletes with physical, visual in 22 sports from. and intellectual impairments will Thursday until Sept. 8.. compete in 22 sports Organizers say more than. from Thursday until Sept. 2 million of the. 8. Organizers say more 2.8 million tickets have. than 2 million of been sold for the. the 2.8 million tickets various Paralympic events. The. have been sold for opening ceremony was held. the various Paralympic events.
outside the confines of. dir="ltr">The opening ceremony was a stadium, just like. held outside the confines when the Olympics opened. of a stadium, just in the city on. like when the Olympics July 26. Fighter planes. opened in the city flew overhead, leaving red-white-and. on July 26. Fighter blue vapors in the. planes flew overhead, leaving colors of the French. red-white-and blue vapors in national flag, before the. the colors of the delegations entered the square. French national flag, before in alphabetical order. Some. the delegations entered the delegations were huge —. square in alphabetical order.
more than 250 athletes. dir="ltr">Some delegations were huge from Brazil — and. — more than 250 some were tiny —. athletes from Brazil — less than a handful. and some were tiny from Barbados and just. — less than a three from Myanmar. Ukraines. handful from Barbados and delegation got a loud. just three from Myanmar.
cheer and some of. dir="ltr">Ukraines delegation got a the crowd stood to. loud cheer and some applaud them. Flag bearers. of the crowd stood Steve Serio and Nicky. to applaud them.
Flag Nieves led the U.S.. bearers Steve Serio and teams delegation. The French. Nicky Nieves led the arrived last and to. U.S. teams delegation. The roars from the crowd,. French arrived last and which then sang along. to roars from the to popular French songs,. crowd, which then sang including “Que Je Taime”. along to popular French by late rocker Johnny. songs, including “Que Je Hallyday. Throughout the show,. Taime” by late rocker directed by Thomas Jolly. Johnny Hallyday.
Throughout the who also led the. show, directed by Thomas Olympic opening ceremony, singers,. Jolly who also led dancers and musicians with. the Olympic opening ceremony, and without disabilities performed. singers, dancers and musicians on stage together seamlessly,. with and without disabilities projecting a theme of. performed on stage together inclusion and overcoming physical. seamlessly, projecting a theme differences. Lucky Love, a. of inclusion and overcoming French singer who lost. physical differences. Lucky Love, his left arm at. a French singer who birth, was joined by. lost his left arm performers in wheelchairs. Other. at birth, was joined acts featured dancers with. by performers in wheelchairs. crutches. International Paralympic Committee. Other acts featured dancers President Andrew Parsons said. with crutches.
International Paralympic he hoped the Paris. Committee President Andrew Parsons Paralympics would start an. said he hoped the “inclusion revolution” beyond the. Paris Paralympics would start field of sport. “The. an “inclusion revolution” beyond Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. the field of sport.
will show what persons. dir="ltr">“The Paris 2024 Paralympic with disabilities can achieve. Games will show what at the highest level. persons with disabilities can when the barriers to. achieve at the highest succeed are removed,” he. level when the barriers said in a speech.. to succeed are removed,” “The fact these opportunities. he said in a largely exist only in. speech. “The fact these sport in the year. opportunities largely exist only 2024 is shocking. It. in sport in the is proof we can. year 2024 is shocking. and must do more. It is proof we to advance disability inclusion. can and must do — whether on the. more to advance disability field of play, in. inclusion — whether on the classroom, concert hall. the field of play, or in the boardroom.”. in the classroom, concert As the ceremony concluded,. hall or in the the Paralympic torch was. boardroom.”
As the ceremony carried into the area. concluded, the Paralympic torch by former Olympic wheelchair. was carried into the tennis gold medalist Michaël. area by former Olympic Jérémiasz, who was surrounded. wheelchair tennis gold medalist on stage by dozens. Michaël Jérémiasz, who was of torchbearers. Five French. surrounded on stage by Paralympians lit the Olympic. dozens of torchbearers. Five cauldron, which is designed. French Paralympians lit the to look like a. Olympic cauldron, which is hot air balloon and. designed to look like glowed gold-like in the. a hot air balloon night. The Paralympic flag. and glowed gold-like in was raised high into. the night.
The Paralympic the night sky and. flag was raised high its emblem adorned the. into the night sky top of the Arc. and its emblem adorned de Triomphe about 3. the top of the kilometers (2 miles) away.. Arc de Triomphe about Although Wednesday nights show. 3 kilometers (2 miles) started at 8 p.m.. away.
Although Wednesday nights local time, fans had. show started at 8 gathered hours earlier under. p.m. local time, fans a scorching sun to. had gathered hours earlier get top spots along. under a scorching sun the way. As performers. to get top spots entertained the crowd on. along the way. As stage, volunteers danced alongside. performers entertained the crowd Paralympians as they waved. on stage, volunteers danced their national flags and. alongside Paralympians as they the sky gave off. waved their national flags a postcard-perfect orange glow.. and the sky gave Tony Estanguet, the president. off a postcard-perfect orange of the Olympic and. glow.
Tony Estanguet, the Paralympic Games, called Paralympians. president of the Olympic “immense champions who we. and Paralympic Games, called have the honor of. Paralympians “immense champions who being with tonight.” The. we have the honor first medals handed out. of being with tonight.”
on Thursday will be. dir="ltr">The first medals handed in taekwondo, table tennis,. out on Thursday will swimming and track cycling.. be in taekwondo, table Athletes are grouped by. tennis, swimming and track impairment levels to ensure. cycling. Athletes are grouped as level a playing. by impairment levels to field as possible. The. ensure as level a closing ceremony will be. playing field as possible.
held at Stade de. dir="ltr">The closing ceremony will France, the national stadium.. be held at Stade Paris inaugurated the 2024. de France, the national Paralympics on Wednesday with. stadium.
