French president Macron declares Paris 2024 Paralympic Games open
By Reuters
August 28, 20245:49 PM GMT-3Updated 5 months ago
Item 1 of 2 Paris 2024 Paralympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - August 28, 2024 The Obelisk of Luxor on the Place de la Concorde displays the colours of the flag of France during the opening ceremony REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska
[1/2]Paris 2024 Paralympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - August 28, 2024 The Obelisk of Luxor on the Place de la Concorde displays the colours of the flag of France during the opening ceremony REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
PARIS, Aug 28 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games open on Wednesday during an opening ceremony that was being held on the Champs Elysees and the Place de la Concorde.
Competitions will start on Thursday and end on Sept. 8.
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Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Chris Reese
On Wednesday evening, August 28, the world witnessed the official commencement of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games with a breathtaking ceremony at the iconic Place de la Concorde. The event was a grand and opulent spectacle that set the tone for the inspiring competition ahead.
Théo Curin Begins the Celebration
The opening festivities were initiated by former French Para swimmer Théo Curin, who made a dramatic entrance in a taxi adorned with Paralympic motifs. As he arrived at Place de la Concorde, Curin enthusiastically declared, “Welcome to Paris!” Following his declaration, the Parisian night sky was illuminated by a brilliant display of fireworks in blue, white, and red, representing the colors of France.
The Patrouille de France and the Arrival of the Nations
The evening continued with an awe-inspiring performance by the Patrouille de France, followed by the introduction of the Phrygians, who heralded the entry of the national teams. The parade of athletes, lasting 90 minutes, reached its crescendo with the arrival of the French contingent as the sun dipped below the horizon. Led by Nantenin Keïta and Alexis Hanquinquant, the nearly 150 members of the French Para sport team made their entrance to the sounds of iconic French songs, creating an electrifying atmosphere of unity and celebration.
The Concorde Obelisk Bathed in French Tricolor
A particularly poignant moment occurred when the obelisk at Place de la Concorde was illuminated with the colors of the French flag. As veterans from the French Armed Forces raised the flag to the strains of a reinterpreted La Marseillaise, arranged by Victor Le Masne and performed by the Ensemble Matheus, the crowd was enveloped in a wave of patriotic emotion.
President Emmanuel Macron Opens the Games
The highlight of the evening was when President Emmanuel Macron officially declared the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games open, following moving speeches from Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, and Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee.
The Arrival of the Paralympic Flame and Lighting of the Cauldron
The Paralympic Flame made its entrance amidst great anticipation, carried by Florent Manaudou and passed to Michael Jeremiasz. The Flame journeyed through a series of symbolic moments, culminating in a powerful visual display where 150 dancers and performers formed the Paralympic Agitos, the emblem of the Paralympic Movement, to the accompaniment of Maurice Ravel’s “Bolero.” Markus Rehm then carried the Flame from Place de la Concorde to the Jardin des Tuileries, where he was joined by Assia El Hannouni, Christian Lachaud, Béatrice Hess, Alexis Hanquinquant, and Nantenin Keïta. Together with Elodie Lorandi, Charles-Antoine Kouakou, and Fabien Lamirault, they had the honor of lighting the Paralympic Cauldron.
Commenting on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening, AIMS President Stephan Fox noted: “The Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport (AIMS) extends its warmest wishes to all athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. We celebrate your journey, your dedication, and the inspiration you provide to millions around the world. May these Games be filled with moments of triumph, joy, friendship, and may each of you achieve your personal best. As the Paralympic flame lights up the Parisian sky, AIMS stands with you in admiration and support. We wish you all the success you deserve and look forward to witnessing the extraordinary stories that will unfold over the coming days”.
The opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games was more than just a celebration; it was a powerful affirmation of the strength, determination, and unity of Paralympic athletes. AIMS extends its heartfelt wishes to all competitors, hoping these Games will be a source of pride, achievement, and unforgettable memories.
France's Macron declares 2024 Paris Paralympics open at grandiose ceremony
FRANCE
The opening ceremony of the 2024 Paralympics kicked off on Wednesday night with a spectacular ceremony on the famed Champs-Elysées avenue and the adjoining Place de la Concorde in central Paris. From Thursday, eleven more days of sporting action in City of Light featuring more than 4,000 athletes with a physical or intellectual handicap will take place in 18 of the 35 Olympic venues.
Issued on: 28/08/2024 - 15:57Modified: 28/08/2024 - 22:58
The Paris Paralympics began on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony in the centre of the French capital, firing the starting gun on 11 days of intense competition.
Just as for the opening ceremony of the Olympics on the River Seine in July, the ceremony took place away from the main stadium for the first time at a Paralympics.
It is at Place de la Concorde, the historic square where skateboarding and other 'urban' sports took place during the Olympics, that the Games will open.
When the sporting action begins on Thursday, a new generation of Paralympians will join seasoned veterans competing in many of the same venues that hosted Olympic sports.
A total of 18 of the 35 Olympic venues will be used for the Paralympics, which run until September 8, including the Grand Palais which scored rave reviews for its hosting of the fencing and taekwondo under an ornate roof.
The La Defense Arena will again host the swimming events and track and field will take place on the purple track of the Stade de France.
Sluggish ticket sales have picked up since the Olympics and more than two million of the 2.5 million available have been sold, with several venues sold out.
The Paralympic flame was lit at Stoke Mandeville hospital in England, the birthplace of the Games, and brought to France through the Channel Tunnel before touring French cities.
Theatre director Thomas Jolly, who also oversaw the Olympics opening ceremony, said there was a deep symbolism in having the Paralympics ceremony in the centre of the French capital -- a city whose Metro system, in particular, is completely unadapted to the needs of wheelchair users.
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"Putting Paralympic athletes in the heart of the city is already a political marker in the sense that the city is not sufficiently adapted to every handicapped person," Jolly said earlier this week.
Organisers say wheelchair users can take Paris buses and they have laid on 1,000 specially adapted taxis as well.
Strong Chinese squad
Paralympic powerhouse China will send a strong squad -- the Chinese dominated the medals table at the Covid-delayed Games in Tokyo three years ago winning 96 golds. Britain were second with 41 golds.
Riding the wave of its Olympic team's success, host nation France will be aiming for a substantial upgrade on the 11 golds it won in 2021, which left it in 14th position.
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said she wants France to finish in the top eight of the medals table.
Ukraine, traditionally one of the top medal-winning nations at the Paralympics, have sent a team of 140 athletes spread over 17 sports despite the challenges they face in preparing as the war against Russian forces rages at home.
Russia and Belarus are sending a total of 96 athletes who will compete under a neutral banner but are barred from the opening and closing ceremonies because of the invasion of Ukraine.
New stars, seasoned veterans
Every Games produces new stars, and in this edition look to American above-the-knee amputee sprinter/high jumper Ezra Frech to make the headlines.
Away from the track, Iranian sitting volleyball legend Morteza Mehrzad, who stands 8ft 1in (2.46m) tall, will attempt to take gold again.
The Paralympics always have a far wider message than simply sport and International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons told AFP earlier this year he hopes the Paris edition will restore the issues facing disabled people to the top of the list of global priorities.
Parsons believes the Games "will have a big impact in how people with disability are perceived around the world".
"This is one of the key expectations we have around Paris 2024; we believe that we need people with disability to be put back on the global agenda," the Brazilian said.
He argued that disability had fallen behind sexual and gender identity in recent years.
"We do believe people with disability have been left behind. There is very little debate about persons with disability."
PARIS 2024: HALF OF THE PLACE DE LA CONCORDE WILL NO LONGER BE ACCESSIBLE TO CARS AFTER THE GAMES
Published by Audrey de Sortiraparis · Photos by My de Sortiraparis · Published on August 19, 2024 at 10:51 a.m.
After the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, half of the Place de la Concorde will no longer be accessible to motorists. The space will be redeveloped as a promenade, just like the Trocadero and the Champ-de-Mars.
The post-Olympic urban transformation in Paris is shaping up to be radical, according to statements made by Mayor Anne Hidalgo last January. After the 2024 Olympics, half of Place de la Concorde "will not be given back to motorists", marking a major step in the mayor's strategy toreduce the presence of cars in the capital. The city's largest square will be dedicated to strolling, offering Parisians and visitors a pedestrian area from the Tuileries to the obelisk.
In La Tribune Dimanche, Anne Hidalgo stresses that this decision will contribute to a smoother flow of traffic, asserting that"the place given to the car in this emblematic place will have been no more than a parenthesis in history". With this transformation,"the Place de la Concorde, the Trocadéro and Iéna (...) the Champ-de-Mars constitute 50 hectares of pedestrian and planted areas for strolling", accompanied by "60 km of additional cycle paths". These changes are in line with the mayor's desire to promote sustainable modes of transport and create green spaces accessible to all.
Normally bustling Place de la Concorde closed to traffic ahead of Paris Olympics
Paris – Place de la Concorde in central Paris has been closed to traffic since 1 June. The square is preparing to host urban sports events during the summer Olympics as well as the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics Games. It will fully reopen on 25 September.
Issued on: 07/06/2024 - 15:30Modified: 07/06/2024 - 15:31
On a typical weekday, 5,400 cars pass through Place de la Concorde every hour.
But since its closure early June, cars, pedestrians and cyclists now must bypass the usually bustling square, lengthening their journeys.
"A partial reopening will take place on 7 September, and from 25 September the entire western section will be reopened," the Paris town hall wrote on social media platform X.
Around 35,000 people are expected every day at the 'Urban Park' in Place de la Concorde where the BMX freestyle, breakdancing, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball competitions will take place during the Paris Olympics from 26 July to 11 August.
After the Games, the Paris town hall says it wants to keep half of the square open exclusively to pedestrians from the Tuileries garden to the Obelisk.
Nearly 15 million spectators and accredited people are expected to attend the Olympics.
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