Paris welcomes its Paralympic Games in an urban spectacle

They are starting. The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games were held this Wednesday new world with an urban spectacle formed between the Champs Elysées and the Place de la Concorde. They did so in an opening ceremony that, located outside the Olympic Stadium, aroused great anticipation.

With Paris fully armored for days before, with access to one of its main arteries cut off for hours before, the Champs-Élysées became the nerve center of the presentation of the Games. On the day the sky honored the landscape, Paris celebrated the start of its Games with music as one of the main protagonists.

A short welcome video starring former French Paralympic swimmer Théo Curin began the ceremony. In a taxi full of Phryges mascots, the visible face of the Games, France winks at equality by using the same symbols for its Olympic and Paralympic Games. This has been one of the maxims of the organization throughout the preparation of its major events.

A piano concert in the Place de la Concorde with some disabled dancers awaits the taxi’s arrival. Upon arrival, the countdown began, then shouted welcome to Paris while smoke with the colors of the French flag took over the Place de la Concorde to launch the dance show, which ended with a performance by the group Christine and the Queen’s covering Édith Piaf.

It is in the prelude to give entry to the various delegations on the route, in one of the most spectacular moments of the event. They ran a short stretch of the Champs Elysées, with the imposing figure of the Arc de Triomphe as a backdrop, until leading to a Concorde Square where Phryge’s pets revived the wait.

The various delegations set the pace one by one, a total of 169 lined up in alphabetical order of French and did not take long to tell the story of the afternoon. Afghanistan opened the route of a traditional parade, with double flag bearers in most countries as a resource to show the world the potential of the Paralympic Games.

Of course, there is no shortage of them spanish delegation. A total of 150 athletes qualified for the event, many of whom attended the parade. A total of 160 people form a smiling and excited team, led by their new standard bearers Álvaro Valera and Marta Arce. Spain participated in the first part of this opening ritual, with a climactic moment in its final phase after the great applause received by the host France.

The defense of equality as a plot line towards lighting the cauldron

The promise of the motto that the organization has made so much progress before the ceremony started behind him: the defense of equality. In an introductory video made by several athletes, France wanted to praise the power of the Paralympic athletes and the difficult process that many of them had to accept their disability.

However, in a segment that ended with videos of athletes’ achievements in past Games, Paris emphasized the path they all took to success. It is continuous improvement that represents the greatest element of success, beyond sporting results.

The president of the Organizing Committee Tony Estanguet is in charge of hosting the Paralympic Games. “You have been the great protagonists of a sweet revolution, the Paralympic. A revolution that will change us and that will last,” highlighted Estanguet about the Games where France wants to leave a good legacy. “Thank you for giving us this unique opportunity to change our vision to see the world,” he thanked for the opportunity to arrange this appointment.

The president of the International Paralympic Committee took over Andrew Parsons. “We want to celebrate the best of Paris, France and humanity. We want to present competitions that will inspire you, because our athletes are here not to show themselves to the world, but to win.“, he said. “We are determined to fight to support people at risk of social exclusion and sport is a great tool to show this,” added Parsons. “Freedom, equality and fraternity are values also of our family “, he highlighted.

The president of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron It officially started the Paralympic Games, whose first action when they were inaugurated was to highlight the feelings of some athletes where they showed their feelings on a social level. Therefore, that forms the entrance to an artistic part with a show next to the monument on the Place de la Concorde.

This is the beginning of part of the protocolat the raising of the Paralympic flag, chords and oaths. Music is the link to the appearance of the paralympic flame for the first time in the ceremony. It came from the Champs Elysées, with some final relays in the nerve center of the ceremony given by some athletes.

I’m looking forward to the cauldron that was worn at the Olympic Games a few weeks ago, with a huge balloon located on Garden of the Tuileries the spotlight was refocused on the latter part of the ceremony. In it, the final musical show led to lighting up the city with fireworks until they went out. But the flame remains: the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are already underway.