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| USA’s Matt Stutzman competes in the men’s archery individual ranking round during the Tokyo 2020 Par |
Medals will be contested in track cycling, swimming, table tennis, and taekwondo as the Paris Paralympics kicks off on Thursday, following a vibrant and inspiring opening ceremony that sets the stage for 11 days of competition.
The events will also commence in sitting volleyball,
wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, badminton, archery, goalball—designed
for visually impaired athletes—and boccia, a variant of bowls.
French President Emmanuel Macron officially opened the Games
on Wednesday in a pleasant Place de la Concorde, marking the first time a
Paralympic opening ceremony has occurred outside the main stadium.
As the sun set, 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations paraded
into the venue, with the host nation, France, receiving a standing ovation from
30,000 attendees. The clear skies contrasted sharply with the heavy rain that
marked the Olympic opening ceremony on July 26.
Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic
Committee (IPC), expressed his hopes for an "inclusion revolution"
before Macron's formal declaration of the Games' commencement.
The Paralympic flag was carried into the square by John
McFall, a British sprinter selected by the European Space Agency as the first
'parastronaut.' French Olympian Florent Manaudou brought the flame into the
arena, concluding a four-day torch relay.
Five French Paralympians, including 2020 gold medalists
Alexis Hanquinquant and Nantenin Keita, ignited the iconic cauldron in the
Tuileries Gardens.
Out of the 35 Olympic venues, 18 will host Paralympic
events, including the stunning Grand Palais and the Stade de France.
Although ticket sales for the Paralympics, which will run
until September 8, started slowly, they have surged following the Olympics,
with organizers reporting that over two million of the 2.5 million tickets
available have been sold, and several venues are now sold out.
Ukraine has put together a solid team
Building on the momentum of their Olympic team's
achievements, the host nation France is striving to significantly surpass the
11 gold medals won in 2021, which placed them 14th in the overall medal
standings.
China, a dominant force in the Paralympics, excelled in
Tokyo with an impressive 96 gold medals and has once again assembled a
formidable team.
Despite the ongoing conflict with Russian forces, Ukraine, a
historically strong contender in the Paralympics, has sent 140 athletes to
participate in 17 different sports.
Meanwhile, 96 athletes from Russia and Belarus will compete
under a neutral flag but are prohibited from participating in ceremonies due to
the invasion of Ukraine.
Among the rising stars is 19-year-old Ezra Frech, an
American sprinter and high jumper with an above-the-knee amputation, who is
being watched closely for his potential. In addition to emerging talents,
seasoned athletes are also pursuing victory.
Morteza Mehrzad, the towering Iranian sitting volleyball
icon standing at 8 feet 1 inch (2.46 meters), aims to reclaim his gold medal.
Italian fencer Beatrice ‘Bebe’ Vio, who lost all four limbs
to meningitis at age 11, is targeting her third gold medal at the Paralympic
Games.