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