'Love and revolution': Paris Paralympic Video games start with a vibrant opening ceremony

Key Factors

The 2024 Paris Paralympic Video games have formally began after a gap ceremony in a serious public sq..
Athletes from 168 delegations paraded into the world.
Worldwide Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons instructed spectators he hoped for an “inclusion revolution”.

The 2024 Paralympics opened in Paris in a vibrant and hope-filled ceremony, beginning 11 days of competitors in a metropolis nonetheless driving the wave of the profitable Olympics.

On Wednesday night (native time), French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Video games open throughout a ceremony within the Place de la Concorde in central Paris — the primary time a Paralympic opening ceremony has taken place away from the principle stadium.

Athletes from 168 delegations paraded into the world because the solar set, with host nation France coming into final to a standing ovation from 30,000 spectators packed into the stands across the historic sq..

In one of many highlights of the ceremony, French singer Fortunate Love, who was born with one arm, carried out a shifting rendition of his music My Capacity surrounded by each dancers with incapacity and with out.

French singer Fortunate Love carried out a rendition of his music My Capacity surrounded by dancers. Supply: AAP / Abdullah Firas/ABACA/PA

Artists with disabilities and impairments screamed a countdown and French singer Christine and the Queens delivered a pop rendition of Edith Piaf’s Je ne regrette rien.

A singer in red performing on top of a piano, surrounded by dancers.

Christine and the Queens performing on the Paralympic Video games opening ceremony. Supply: AAP / Belga/Virginie Lefour/Sipa USA

“Pricey athletes, welcome to the nation of affection and revolution. Relaxation assured, tonight, no Storming of the Bastille, no guillotine, as a result of tonight probably the most stunning revolution begins — the Paralympic revolution,” Paris 2024 president Tony Estanguet stated in his speech.

“It is a candy revolution that can change all of us deeply.”

Worldwide Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons instructed the athletes and spectators he hoped for an “inclusion revolution”, earlier than Macron formally declared the Video games open.

Colourful fireworks light the sky above a packed stadium.

Fireworks explode beside the Luxor Obelisk in the course of the Paris 2024 Paralympics opening ceremony. Supply: Getty / Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP

The Paralympic flag was carried into the sq. by John McFall, a British Paralympic sprinter who has been chosen by the European House Company to change into the primary ‘parastronaut’.

French Olympian Florent Manaudou introduced the flame into the world, because the four-day torch relay reached its end result with 5 French Paralympians, together with 2020 gold medallists Alexis Hanquinquant and Nantenin Keïta, ultimately lighting the already-iconic cauldron within the Tuileries Backyard.

Five people silhouetted against a large yellow flaming cauldron holding up torches.

Paralympians mild the cauldron in the course of the 2024 Paris opening ceremony. Supply: AAP / Christophe Ena/AP

A complete of 18 of the 35 Olympic venues will even be used for the Paralympics, which run till 8 September, together with the ornate Grand Palais and the Stade de France.

Ticket gross sales have sped up for the reason that Olympics, and organisers say greater than two million of the two.5 million accessible have been bought, with a number of venues bought out.

A person in a wheelchair holding up a torch. Others surround him also holding up small torches.

French tennis participant Michaël Jérémiasz carries the Paralympic flame in the course of the torch relay. Supply: Getty / Michael Reaves

Driving the wave of its Olympic workforce’s success, host nation France is aiming for a considerable enchancment on the 11 golds it gained within the 2021 Paralympic Video games, which left it 14th within the medals desk.

Paralympic powerhouse China dominated the final Paralympics in Tokyo with 96 golds and has once more despatched a robust delegation.

Ukraine, historically one of many high medal-winning nations on the Paralympics, has despatched a workforce of 140 athletes to compete in 17 sports activities regardless of the challenges they face in getting ready because the conflict in opposition to Russian forces rages at dwelling.

A complete of 96 athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete underneath a impartial banner however are barred from the ceremonies due to the invasion of Ukraine.

Whereas on the Paralympics.

The 2024 Paris Paralympic Video games runs from 29 August (Australian time) to eight September and would be the first time Paris hosts the Paralympics.

With extra reporting by Reuters.