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get ready on the Champs-Elysees.”,”caption”:”Players get ready on the Champs-Elysees.”,”credit”:”Photo by Andrew Coudrige/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1724866829000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”13.40 EDT”,”blockLastUpdated”:1724867130000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”13.45 EDT”,”blockFirstPublished”:1724867131000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”13.45 EDT”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”13.45″,”title”:”Opening ceremony kicks off in Paris, Paralympians welcome athletes”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Wednesday, August 28, 2024 13:54 EDT”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First Published Wednesday, August 28, 2024 13:03 EDT”},{“id”:”66cf55258f08b036ea3f4505″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”
Bon soir! So 17 days after the Olympics came to an end, it’s time to do it all again as the Paralympics get under way in Paris. Hourra! I think it’s fair to say that Part Un exceeded expectations – as the early French indifference towards the Olympics, poor weather and transport problems gave way to a joyful celebration of nationalism and sport – and there’s already a sense that Part Deux could do the same.
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Yes, there’s some local scepticism about the timing of the Paralympics, which coincide with the end of Les Vacances in France, and it’s predicted Paris will welcome about half the number the visitors that travelled for the Olympics. But after months of concerns over low ticket sales and questions about whether the French would embrace disability sport, there’s been a big upturn in interest, with more than 2m of 2.5m tickets sold and many events selling out.
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In order to send out a message of inclusivity and accessibility, tickets aren’t needed to watch tonight’s athletes’ parade, which won’t be staged at the Stade de France but will instead take spectators, competitors and TV viewers to the landmarks of Paris – just as the Olympics opening ceremony did. About 4,400 athletes from 182 delegations will be parading along the Champs-Élysées from the Arc de Triomphe before arriving at the Place de la Concorde, which provided such a memorable backdrop for the Olympic skateboarding, BMX and breaking competitions. The Place de la Concorde will then host the artistic performances and the lighting of the Paralympic torch.
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Organisers are keeping the names of tonight’s performers under wraps – but after the Olympics opening ceremony included performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, along with a guillotined Marie Antoinette, the Minions fighting over the Mona Lisa and the controversial but unintentional Last Supper parody, it’s probably wise to expect the unexpected. What the Paris 2024 president, Tony Estanguet, has said is that “the ceremony at the heart of the city is a strong symbol illustrating our ambition to capitalise on our country hosting its first ever Paralympics to position the issue of inclusion for people with disabilities at the heart of our society”.
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La cérémonie commence à: 20h Paris time (7pm UK time).
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But it’s not all about parades and pizzazz, you know: the competition begins tomorrow morning in sports including track cycling, swimming, taekwondo and table tennis, with 549 gold medals on offer over the following 11 days.
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Main Events
The Paris Olympics definitely brought new fans to the Olympics, and I hope the same can happen with the Paralympics. The next 11 days promise to be filled with incredible sporting action, from the physicality of wheelchair rugby to the precision of boccia. But for many (myself included), what makes the Paralympics special are the incredible human stories of resilience in the face of adversity and the transformative power of sport for people with disabilities, personified by France's longest-serving Paralympian, Riad Salem. He spoke to our Paris correspondent Angélique Chrysafis about his “meeting with destiny” at his home Olympics and how sport saved his life.
When the France wheelchair rugby team plays its opening match on Thursday, all eyes will be on Riyad Salem, whose incredible journey from thalidomide baby to record-breaking athlete has made him one of France's best-loved and longest-serving Paralympians.
Salem, who turns 54 in Paris and will be competing in his sixth Paralympic Games, is best known for his multi-sport stunts: He started out as a swimmer, breaking the world record in the 400m individual medley in 1991, then picked up circus juggling skills to become the first wheelchair basketball player able to compete with free hands.
After Paralympic basketball, he chose the fast-paced intensity of wheelchair rugby, which he describes as a combative, gladiatorial sport, competing in London and Rio. Ending his Paralympic career in his hometown of Paris was, he says, a “meeting of destiny.”
Salem was born in the Tunisian coastal town of Monastir without both legs, with a missing left hand and a deformed right hand after her mother took thalidomide, a drug used to treat morning sickness in the 1950s and 1960s that caused thousands of children around the world to be born without limbs.
“My grandfather fought for France in World War II, and he told my parents, 'If you want to save your child, you have to take him to France,'” he says. So Salem's father took him to a rehabilitation center at a French hospital outside Paris when he was 2. Salem lived in a kind of boarding school environment in a hospital-school setting, where he spent nearly 20 years and underwent numerous surgeries.
You can read the full interview here.
Paris welcomes Paralympic athletes as Opening Ceremony begins
With just 15 minutes to go until the start of the ceremonies, some 4,400 athletes from a record 182 delegations will parade down the Champs-Élysées, starting at the Arc de Triomphe and ending at the Place de la Concorde, where the remainder of the ceremonies will take place. In contrast to the cold, rainy weather at the start of the Olympics, temperatures in Paris are currently a balmy 28°C, setting the stage for a memorable evening in the French capital sparkling in the setting sun.
From sports to venues to stars to watch, here's Paul McInnes' handy guide to the Paralympics.
What are the Paralympics?
Over 11 days of elite competition in 22 sports, 4,400 athletes with physical or cognitive disabilities from 128 countries will compete for 549 medals.
When does it begin?
The opening ceremony of the 17th Summer Paralympic Games will take place in Paris on Wednesday 28 August at 7pm UK time. As with this summer's Olympics, the ceremony will take place in the city rather than in a stadium, and will move from the Seine to the Champs-Élysées.Parc UrbanThe climax of the evening and the lighting ceremony of the Paralympic Torch will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on the 15th of March. Sports competitions will begin the next day.
Where does this sport take place?
Many of the venues you fell in love with at the start of the summer will be back in action, with 18 of the 35 Olympic venues being repurposed for the Paralympics. The Stade de France and La Défense arenas will once again host athletics and swimming events respectively, while cycling will return to the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines Velodrome. The sand will be removed from the Eiffel Tower Stadium, with blind football replacing beach volleyball. The only event taking place outside the French capital will be the parachuting events in Châteauroux.
What time does the action start?
Some of you may have already adjusted your body clock to the challenge of watching sporting events in the French capital, and it won't be too difficult for those in the UK (which is only an hour ahead): sporting events start at 8.30am local time and finish at 10.30pm.
What are the key events?
As with the Olympics, the centrepiece of the Paralympics is athletics. Competition begins on Friday 30 August and continues over nine days, with medals being awarded each day. Saturday is particularly action-packed on both days, with 22 finals taking place across two sessions on 7 September. Other notable events include the Wheelchair Rugby final on Monday 2 September and the Para Rowing final on Sunday 1 September at the Vers-sur-Marne Maritime Stadium.
Who are the British stars to watch?
Of the 215 athletes who make up the British Paralympic team this year, 81 are first timers, creating a golden opportunity for new heroes to emerge. Among the newcomers, keep an eye out for 19-year-old cyclist Archie Atkinson (competing in the C4 pursuit), 13-year-old swimming phenom Iona Winnifrith (competing in the SB7 100m breaststroke and SM7 individual medley) and world para-badminton champion Rachel Chong, who has finally been classified for the sport and will be competing in her first Olympic Games.
You can read the rest here:
Paris is ready.
The players are ready.
Friges is ready.
are you ready?…. pic.twitter.com/dfzFVOaMSr
— Paralympics (@Paralympics) August 28, 2024
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It's time for statistics. The Paralympics will break records with the largest number of delegations (182) and female athletes (nearly 2,000) ever. The number of women participating is expected to more than double that of Sydney 2000, competing in a record 235 medal events.
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International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons said:
The concept is always [by staging the event] “On the Champs-Élysées and Place de la Concorde, it is as if the city is welcoming the Paralympic athletes and the Paralympic Movement. We see this as a big hug for our athletes and it couldn't be more positive.”
Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, said:
I believe that the French people can make a difference and make the Paralympics their own. We achieved more than we ever dreamed of with the Olympic Games, we generated true enthusiasm and I believe we can achieve the same with the Paralympics.
We deliberately decided to hold the Olympiad during the new school term in France because we want to take advantage of the opportunities it brings. The new school term is a good time to send a message to students, show inclusivity and accessibility and offer educational opportunities.
Tasting available here About what we'll see tonight.
Welcome to our report on the Paris Paralympic Opening Ceremony
Bon soir! 17 days after the Olympics ended, it's time to do it again as the Paralympics begin in Paris. Yay! I think it's fair to say that part 1 exceeded expectations, as France's initial disinterest in the Olympics, bad weather, and traffic problems gave way to a joyous celebration of patriotism and sport. And I already have a feeling that part 2 will be able to do the same.
Yes, there is some skepticism locally about the timing of the Paralympics. Les Vacances France is expected to see about half the people travelling to Paris for the Olympics, but after months of concern over sluggish ticket sales and questions about whether the French would embrace disability sport, interest has soared, with more than 2 million of the 2.5 million tickets sold and many events sold out.
To send a message of inclusivity and accessibility, no tickets are required to watch tonight's Athletes' Parade. The parade will not take place at the Stade de France, but will take spectators, athletes and television viewers to Paris landmarks, similar to the Olympic Opening Ceremony. Some 4,400 athletes from 182 delegations will parade from the Arc de Triomphe along the Champs-Élysées before arriving at Place de la Concorde, the memorable backdrop for the Olympic skateboarding, BMX and breaking competitions. The Place de la Concorde will then host artistic performances and the lighting of the Paralympic Torch.
Organizers have not revealed the names of tonight's performers, but since the Olympic Opening Ceremony included performances from Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, Marie Antoinette being guillotined, minions fighting over the Mona Lisa, and a controversial but unintentional parody of the Last Supper, it would be wise to expect the unexpected. “This ceremony in the heart of the city is a powerful symbol of our ambition to use the opportunity of our country's first Paralympic Games to put disability inclusion at the heart of our society,” said Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet.
The ceremony will begin at: 8pm Paris time (7pm UK time).
But it's not all about parades and extravagant performances. Events such as cycling, swimming, taekwondo and table tennis will get underway tomorrow morning, with 549 gold medals to be competed for over the next 11 days.
