The Paralympic Games commenced with high ambition and renowned Hollywood figure graced the occasion.
Booming rhythms, a vibrant light display - and a powerful pledge: Paris kicked off the 17th Summer Paralympics at a renowned location with a cutting-edge spectacle, urging the globe for more acceptance. The exhilarating festivities on the Champs-Élysées and the Place de la Concorde are meant to spark "the greatest games ever."
At 22:37, French President Emmanuel Macron delivered the final words: "I hereby declare the 17th Paralympic Summer Games in Paris officially open." This marked the start of eleven days of competition in the French capital, featuring 549 medal events across 22 sports.
"Long live the revolution of acceptance!"
"It's been established that we need to do more. Two hundred and twenty-five years ago, the Place de la Concorde was the epicenter of the French Revolution, and I hope that the spark for the acceptance revolution will also ignite here. Long live the revolution of acceptance," said Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee. "History is being written now," Tony Estanguet, the organizing chief, told the crowd.
Screen legend Jackie Chan was also present at the Paralympic event. More than 50,000 spectators flooded the Champs-Élysées and the heart of the opening party, the Place de la Concorde, which was transformed into a colossal arena around the ancient Luxor Obelisk, the city's oldest monument.
Unlike the rainy ceremony of the Olympic Games over a month prior, the weather cooperated. With delightful temperatures of 25 degrees and clear skies, the roughly 4,400 athletes made their way from the starting point at the Arc de Triomphe along the Champs-Élysées to the Place de la Concorde.
Temporary asphalt layer on traditional pavement stones
To guarantee accessibility for disabled athletes on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a temporary asphalt layer was laid over the traditional pavement stones. Unlike the Olympic opening ceremony on the Seine, spectators were given the opportunity to watch along the grand boulevard and around the Louvre Museum, where the Paralympic flame was lit. People stood in rows of five along the route.
Before it grew dark, the German team, led by flag-bearers Edina Müller and Martin Schulz, entered the historic spot at 20:25, greeted by thunderous cheers as they represented the fourth nation. On the dais, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender welcomed the German team, which consisted of 143 participants and five guides.
"I am completely confident that we will experience an incredible beginning and then be carried away on a wave of excitement," said DBS President Friedhelm Julius Beucher. However, some athletes, including several wheelchair basketball players whose first preliminary round game was scheduled for Thursday morning at 10:30, left the ceremony before the team had completed its lap around the Luxor Obelisk at the center of the celebrations. After all, there are more critical matters than an unforgettable spectacle.
"The Place de la Concorde, famous for being the epicenter of the French Revolution, is now hoped to be the ignition point for a revolution of acceptance, as stated by Andrew Parsons, the President of the International Paralympic Committee during the opening ceremony in Paris."
"Despite being the fourth nation to enter the ceremony, the German team, including athletes with disabilities, was met with thunderous cheers on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a street that was temporarily adapted to ensure accessibility for all athletes."
