Paris Paralympics begin in style with stunning opening ceremony

Shortly after hosting the Olympics, Paris ushered in the 2024 Paralympics with a grand opening ceremony that lasted almost four hours in the French capital. Against the backdrop of a picturesque sunset, thousands of athletes marched down the Champs-Elysees avenue to Place de la Concorde in central Paris, where French President Emmanuel Macron officially declared the Paralympic Games open.

The ceremony took place outdoors, much like the Olympics' opening in July, and featured fighter planes soaring overhead, leaving trails of red, white, and blue vapor in the colors of the French flag. The delegations entered the square in alphabetical order.

A record number of about 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations will participate in the 11-day Games, spanning 22 sports from Thursday until September 8. This year sees the Paralympic debuts of Eritrea, Kiribati, and Kosovo.

China's flag was carried by wheelchair fencer Gu Haiyan and weightlifter Qi Yongkai during the ceremony. Gu brings a decade of experience in wheelchair fencing, while Qi, who started weightlifting training at age 14, made his Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020. "As athletes, we're not just competing against others; we're continuously challenging ourselves," Qi beamed.

China has sent a contingent of 284 athletes - 126 men and 158 women - to compete in 302 events across 19 sports, with 95 athletes making their first appearance at the Paralympics. 

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons expressed his aspiration for the Paris Paralympics to ignite an "inclusion revolution" that transcends the boundaries of sport.

In a poignant speech, he declared, "The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will show what persons with disabilities can achieve at the highest level when the barriers to succeed are removed." Parsons underscored the pressing need for enhanced disability inclusion across all facets of society, urging for more opportunities for individuals with disabilities in arenas beyond sports, such as classrooms, concert halls, and boardrooms.

As the curtain fell on the ceremony, former Olympic wheelchair tennis champion Michael Jeremiasz carried the Paralympic torch into the arena, flanked by a cohort of torchbearers on stage. Five French Paralympians lit the Olympic cauldron, fashioned in the likeness of a luminous hot air balloon against the night sky.

Organizers revealed that over 2 million tickets out of a total of 2.8 million have been sold for the diverse Paralympic events. With 500,000 tickets still available, Paris is poised to approach the record 2.7 million tickets sold for the 2012 London Games.