The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games takes place on Wednesday evening in the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees. The event kicks off 11 days of excitement in which 4,400 Paralympic athletes will compete.
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games began in the French capital.
Athletes from a record 186 delegations paraded down the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees in front of thousands of fans who cheered, clapped and waved flags as the athletes took the stage, according to International Paralympic Committee
The Paralympic athletes danced, waved to the crowd and posed for pictures as they took a lap around the world’s most beautiful public square.
“This is my first time going to a ceremony. It’s my first experience. I’m in my fourth Paralympic Games, but I’ve never been to the opening, usually my competition is the next day,” confessed Indonesian powerlifter Nengah Widiasih, excited to enter the ceremony.
Mpumelelo Mhlongo, South Africa’s flag bearer, is another Paralympic athlete with high hopes.
“I expect there to be a massive crowd to welcome the Paralympians from around the world and a lot of countries to create a nice atmosphere, just to show France how grateful we are for hosting us and creating such an event extraordinary for us, to show our talent”, said Mhlongo, who will compete in athletics, according to the International Paralympic Committee.
“Welcome to Paris!”
In the first minutes of the opening ceremony, French Paralympic hero Theo Curin drove a Phryge taxi, a red car decorated with hundreds of Paralympic mascots.
The Paralympic swimmer, who competed at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, paces the French athletes, said he was excited to compete from “home”.
“Welcome to Paris”the Paralympic swimmer shouted as the countdown ended as the sky lit up in red, white and blue, the colors of the French flag. The ceremony included music and dance numbers, kicking off 11 days of exciting Paralympic competition.
Seats, be ready, start!
Around 4,400 athletes from a record 168 delegations are participating in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, including the largest refugee Paralympic team.
Three National Paralympic Committees – Eritrea, Kiribati and Kosovo – will make their Paralympic debuts in the French capital. There will be a record number of female athletes.
The athletes were greeted by thousands of spectators – and 15 Phryge mascots who danced, jumped and even read newspapers on stage. With a beautiful sunset and the Eiffel Tower also in the background, the athletes celebrated the opening of the Games.
“I am very excited. It’s my first participation. I can’t wait. I watched the Olympic Ceremony and it was so cool. There is so much to do and everything is so amazing, I am so happy to be herei”, said the Finnish Lida Lounela, who will make her Paralympic debut in the French capital.
Mhlongo from South Africa said: “I think (having a crowd) is everything. We know from the pandemic that our sport is nothing without a community, so without the crowd we don’t exist either. It is a symbiotic relationship“.
His wife, Monique Atouguia, cheered as she watched her husband carry the flag in his third Paralympic Games, along with his brother and mother. Her husband’s family will arrive tomorrow to complete the family celebrations.
“I’m so excited, so excited. This is his third Paralympics and he’s retiring so it’s a big moment”Monique Atouguia told IPC at the opening ceremony.
