More than 4,000 athletes with physical, visual, and intellectual impairments will compete in 22 sports until September 8.
Thousands of athletes paraded down the Champs-Elysées, watched by about 50,000 people from stands built around the iconic Place de la Concorde.
Accessibility for wheelchair athletes was ensured with asphalt strips laid along the avenue and over the square. Against the backdrop of a setting sun, fighter planes left red-white-and-blue vapors in the colors of the French national flag.
Athletes entered the square in alphabetical order. Some delegations were large, like Brazil with over 250 athletes, while others were small, such as Barbados and Myanmar with just a few.
Fans gathered hours ahead under a scorching sun to secure top spots. Performers entertained the crowd on stage, and volunteers danced alongside Paralympians, who waved their national flags as the sky turned orange.
Ukraine’s delegation received a loud cheer, and some in the crowd stood to applaud them. The French delegation arrived last, met by roars and singing from the crowd. French songs like “Que Je T’aime” by Johnny Hallyday filled the air.
Lucky Love, a French singer who lost his left arm at birth, performed with wheelchair-bound artists. The Obelisk lit up in the colors of the French flag as the national anthem played.
Organizers aimed for another spectacular show. Unlike the rain-soaked Olympic opening ceremony featuring a boat parade on the Seine River, the Paralympic ceremony stayed on land. More than 2 million of the 2.8 million tickets for various Paralympic events have been sold.
Tony Estanguetthe president of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “immense champions who we have the honor of being with tonight.”
The first medals were to be handed out on Thursday in taekwondo, table tennis, swimming, and track cycling. Athletes are grouped by impairment levels to ensure a level playing field. Only two sports, goalball and boccia, don’t have an Olympic equivalent.
International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons noted the big crowds expected in Paris would 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. He said: “as a powerful force for good” amid ongoing global tensions.
The closing ceremony will be held at Stade de France, the national stadium.
