August 28, (THEWILL) – The Paris Paralympics commenced on Wednesday, with an opening ceremony in the city centre, marking the start of 11 days of competition. For the first time, the ceremony took place outside the main stadium, mirroring the Olympics’ opening on the Seine in July.
Place de la Concorde hosted the event in pleasant weather, a contrast to the heavy rain during the Olympic opening. French President Emmanuel Macron attended and the ceremony concluded with the lighting of the cauldron, which has become a popular attraction since the Olympics.
Sporting events will commence on Thursday, with a mix of new and experienced Paralympians competing across 18 of the 35 Olympic venues. These include the Grand Palais for fencing and taekwondo, La Defense Arena for swimming, and Stade de France for track and field.
Ticket sales have improved since the Olympics, with over two million of the 2.5 million available tickets sold. The Paralympic flame, lit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England, travelled through the Channel Tunnel and toured French cities before arriving in Paris.
China, which dominated the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics with 96 gold medals, has sent a strong team. Host nation France aims to improve on its 14th-place finish in Tokyo, targeting a top-eight position in the medals table. The Games will run until September 8.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
