French President Emmanuel Macron solemnly announced the opening of the 2024 Paralympic Games, which are being held at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. These Games became the first Paralympic competitions on the territory of France, which gives them special historical importance. About this informs Le Figaro.
The opening ceremony, which included a music and dance show, gathered 168 delegations from different countries at the parade. Starting Thursday, August 29, around 4,400 athletes will compete for 11 days, demonstrating their skills on the world stage.
Photo: Getty Images/Julien de Rosa
For the first time in history, the opening ceremony of the Paralympics was held outside the stadium, which emphasizes its uniqueness. As informs According to Reuters, around 15,000 law enforcement officers were deployed for security at the event, but the atmosphere of the evening remained light and festive as the sun set over Paris.
The head of the organizing committee of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games congratulated the participants with the words: “Dear athletes, welcome to the country of love and revolution. Today the most beautiful revolution begins – the Paralympic revolution, which will change each of us”.
The live show, which began at the foot of the obelisk in the Square of Accord, included performances by famous musicians, including Canadian composer Chilli Gonzalez, who performed the piece on piano, and French singer Christine and the Queens, who sang a pop version of Edith Piaf’s “Je ne regrette rien.” .
The large-scale event, directed by Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman and featuring 500 artists, was titled “Paradox: From Discord to Accord,” a nod to the historical significance of Accord Square, where the ceremony concluded in front of more than 50,000 spectators.
The parade of athletes started from the lower part of the Champs-Élysées, where volunteers supported the participants with dances and applause. The French team closed the parade to Jan Tiersen’s theme music from the film Amelie as the crowd chanted “Allez Les Bleus” against the backdrop of the glowing Eiffel Tower.
Ukraine will be represented at the Paralympics in Paris by 140 athletes who will compete in 17 sports. The largest number of Ukrainian Paralympians will perform in swimming (37), as well as in athletics (28).
At the opening ceremony, the Ukrainian flag was carried by fencer Olena Fedota-Isaeva and rower Roman Polyanskyi, which emphasized the symbolic presence of Ukraine at this world sports event.
