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French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Paralympics open on Wednesday (August 28), as joyful volunteers and spectators cheered on the competitors on a sweet summer evening.
The event, held on the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde, was the first time the Paralympic Games opener was held outside a stadium.
Security was tight, with an estimated 15,000 law enforcement officers on the scene, but the evening had a light summer feel as the sun slowly set over the French capital.
“Dear athletes, welcome to the land of love and revolution. Rest assured, there will be no storming of the Bastille tonight, no guillotines, because tonight the most beautiful revolution begins – the Paralympic Revolution,” said Paris 2024 Paralympic Games President Tony Estanguet in his speech.
“This is a sweet revolution that will profoundly change us all.”
The live performance began at the foot of the obelisk at the Place de la Concorde, with Canadian musician, songwriter and producer Chilly Gonzales playing piano.
Artists with disabilities and impairments shouted out the countdown, and French singer Christine and the Queens sang Edith Piaf’s hit song “I don’t regret anything”.
Athletes parade
Directed by Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman, the event involved 500 artists and was titled “Paradox, from Dissonance to Harmony”, a veiled reference to the Place de la Concorde. The sold-out opening ceremony ended in front of more than 50,000 spectators. The parade of athletes from 168 delegations set off from the bottom of the Champs-Elysées, with volunteers cheering and cheering in a festive mood.
As the French, the finale of the parade, arrived at the square, Yann Tiersen’s “Amelie” theme song blared over the loudspeakers and the crowd chanted “Blue Returns” against the backdrop of the glittering Eiffel Tower.
Last month’s opening ceremony, held in pouring rain, did little to dampen the enthusiasm of spectators along the Seine River, which was held without any safety issues but also sparked controversy after images appeared to mimic Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
The Paralympic flag is carried by John McFall, a Briton who won bronze in the 100m at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and later became the first person with a physical disability to be approved for a future European Space Agency mission.
After the torch relay in the Tuileries Gardens, five French Paralympians relit the torch near the Louvre 17 days after the end of the Games: Alexis Hanquinquant (triathlon), Nantenin Keita (athletics), Elodie Lorandi (swimming), Charles-Antoine Kouakou (athletics) and Fabien Lamirault (table tennis).
The ceremony ended with a fireworks display and Christine and the Queens covering Patrick Hernandez’s 1978 hit “Born to be Alive,” followed by Serge Gainsbourg singing ‘I don’t love you eitherIt resonated around the Place de la Concorde.
Read more by Euractiv
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