Current:Home > ContactParalympic Games opening ceremony starts the final chapter on a long summer of sport in Paris -ProsperPlan Hub
Paralympic Games opening ceremony starts the final chapter on a long summer of sport in Paris
View
Date:2025-04-18 06:13:59
PARIS (AP) — Just weeks after hosting the Olympics, Paris began the final chapter of its summer of sports Wednesday with the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
Against the backdrop of a setting sun, thousands of athletes paraded down the famed Champs-Elysées avenue to Place de la Concorde in central Paris.
About 50,000 people watched the ceremony in stands built around the iconic square, which is the biggest in Paris and is visible from afar because of its ancient Egyptian Obelisk. Accessibility for athletes in wheelchairs was facilitated with strips of asphalt laid along the avenue and placed over the square.
More than 4,000 athletes with physical, visual and intellectual impairments will compete in 22 sports from Thursday until Sept. 8.
Under the gaze of French President Emmanuel Macron, International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, fighter planes flew overhead, leaving red-white-and blue vapors in the colors of the French national flag, before the delegations entered the square in alphabetical order.
Some delegations were huge — more than 250 athletes from Brazil — and some were tiny — less than a handful from Barbados and just three from Myanmar.
Although Wednesday night’s show started at 8 p.m. local time, fans had gathered hours earlier under a scorching sun to get top spots along the way. As performers entertained the crowd on stage, volunteers danced alongside Paralympians as they waved their national flags and the sky gave off a postcard-perfect orange glow.
Organizers had promised another spectacular show to open the Games. Once again it was held outside of a stadium, but unlike the rain-soaked Olympic opening ceremony on July 26, which featured a boat parade on the Seine River, the Paralympic ceremony was exclusively on land.
Organizers say more than 2 million of the 2.8 million tickets have been sold for the various Paralympic events.
2024 Paris Olympics:
- What to know about the closing ceremony: A skydiving Tom Cruise and performances from Billie Eilish, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Paris Olympics mainstay Snoop Dogg highlighted the French capital’s au revoir to the Olympics.
- Indelible images: AP photographers pick their favorite images from the Paris Olympics.
- Who won the 2024 Olympics?: See which countries tied for the most gold medals in Paris, and who exceeded expectations.
- When are the next Summer Games? The Olympics will always have Paris. But next up for the Summer Games: Los Angeles 2028. See how the City of Angels is preparing to follow the City of Light.
The first medals handed out on Thursday will be in taekwondo, table tennis, swimming and track cycling. Athletes are grouped by impairment levels to ensure as level a playing field as possible. Only two sports, goalball and boccia, don’t have an Olympic equivalent.
Parsons said that the big crowds expected in Paris will mean a lot to the athletes, many of whom competed in front of empty stands at the Tokyo Paralympics three years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Parsons added that the ceremony would be the city’s way of welcoming Paralympic athletes with a “gigantic hug.”
The closing ceremony will be held at Stade de France, the national stadium.
___
AP Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Juan Soto praise of Mets' future a tough sight for Yankees, but World Series goal remains
- Now that Biden is out, what's next for Democrats? Here's a timeline of key dates
- Coco Gauff joins LeBron James as US flag bearers for opening ceremony
- Meet Katie Grimes, the 'old-soul' teenager who is Team USA's most versatile swimmer in Paris
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- AmeriCorps CEO gets a look at a volunteer-heavy project to rebuild Louisiana’s vulnerable coast.
- Schools across Maine confront unique challenges in ridding their water of ‘forever chemicals’
- Fake protest set for TV shoot on NYC campus sparks real demonstration by pro-Palestinian activists
- The FTC says 'gamified' online job scams by WhatsApp and text on the rise. What to know.
- Is the Great Resignation 2.0 coming? Nearly 3 in 10 workers plan to quit this year: Survey
Ranking
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Giants on 'Hard Knocks': Inside Joe Schoen's process for first round of 2024 NFL Draft
- Lawyer for Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger wants trial moved to Boise, citing inflammatory coverage
- Kate Spade Outlet Just Marked an Extra 20% Off 400+ Styles: $79 Backpack, $39 Wallet & More Up to 75% Off
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Blaze Pizza franchisee hit with child labor violations in Nevada, fined over $277K
- After losing an Olympic dream a decade ago, USA Judo's Maria Laborde realizes it in Paris
- Following the Journeys of 16 and Pregnant Stars
Recommendation
Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
Hawaii contractors are still big contributors to political campaigns due to loopholes in state law
Lauren Alaina cancels 3 shows following dad's death: 'I really have no words'
Snoop Dogg gets his black belt, and judo move named after him, at Paris Olympics
Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
Comic Con 2024: What to expect as the convention returns to San Diego
Phoenix man sentenced to life in prison without parole after killing his parents and younger brother
Tiger Woods' son, Charlie, misses cut at U.S. Junior Amateur