Symbols of the Paralympic Movement will adorn the Arc de Triomphe (AHMAD GHARABLI)
The Paralympics open in Paris on Wednesday, showcasing an incredible array of athletic talent in a city still riding the wave of a hugely successful Olympics.
A new generation of Paralympic athletes, plus veteran athletes, will compete in many of the same spectacular venues in the heart of the French capital that hosted the Olympic Games.
From Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, 18 of the 35 Olympic venues will be used for the Paralympics, including the Grand Palais, the acclaimed venue for fencing and taekwondo.
La Défense Arena will also be back on track and field, hosting 141 gold medal Para-swimming events, as will the Stade de France, which will host athletics.
The opening ceremony will take place at Place de la Concorde, which hosted skateboarding and other “urban” sports during the Olympics, and will be the first Paralympics ceremony to be held away from the main stadium, similar to the Olympic ceremonies on the Seine.
Ticket sales were slow, with less than half the tickets reportedly sold by the time the Olympics got underway, but have since picked up significantly, with organisers saying some venues are already sold out.
Every Olympic Games gives birth to new stars, and this year’s Games are no exception, and one to watch is American above-knee amputee sprinter and high jumper Ezra Fleck, who at just 19 years old has already made quite the splash in his journey to Paris.
Some more familiar names are also returning: British amputee sprinter Jonny Peacock was one of the most high-profile athletes at the London 2012 Games and took out his running blades again last year to return in pursuit of a fourth consecutive Paralympic medal.
– Powerful Chinese team –
But the Paralympics have always had a wider message that goes far beyond just sport, and International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons told AFP earlier this year that he hoped the Paris Games would put the issues facing disabled people back at the top of global priorities.
Parsons believes the Olympics “will have a huge impact on how disabled people are perceived around the world.”
“This is one of our key expectations for Paris 2024. We believe that disabilities need to be put back on the global agenda,” the Brazilian said.
He argued that in recent years, disability has lagged behind sexual and gender identity.
“We believe disabled people are being left behind. There is very little discussion about disabled people.”
China, a Paralympic powerhouse, will send a strong contingent. China swept the medals in Tokyo three years ago with 96 gold medals. Great Britain came second with 41.
Riding the wave of success of their Olympic team, hosts France will be aiming to significantly improve on the 11 gold medals they won in 2021.
Ukraine, traditionally one of the top medal winners at the Paralympics, is set to send a delegation of 140 athletes across 17 sports despite facing preparation challenges amid an escalating war with Russian forces.
Athletes from Russia and Belarus will not have team colours and will compete under neutral flags, but will not be allowed to take part in the opening or closing ceremonies.
Both the Russian and Belarusian federations were suspended following the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, but athletes from both federations are allowed to compete as neutrals as long as they do not show support for the war.
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