The Paris 2024 Paralympics, which took place from August 28 through September 8th, 2024, broke many unprecedented records. This marked the first ever Paralympics to be hosted by Paris and France. The opening ceremony on August 28th was held in the open, instead of the traditional setting of an enclosed stadium area. Taking place in the Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées, director Thomas Jolly, Artistic Director for the Ceremonies, expressed his goals and what he wished to convey during the performance: “While the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony will be the first of its kind, its monumental concept is, for me, first and foremost a magnificent source of inspiration…I look forward to creating this spectacle that will transform the heart of Paris, with performances that have never been seen before. A spectacle that will showcase the Paralympic athletes and the values they embody. A spectacle that will unite spectators and television audiences worldwide around the unique spirit of the Paralympic Games.”
The popular parade of participating countries occurred on the Champs-Elysées, the avenue between the Place de la Concorde and the Place Charles de Gaulle; the official parade took place on the Place de la Concorde. A total of 168 delegations were present, representing 170 countries from around the world.
The president of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, remarked in his speech that the “Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will show what persons with disabilities can achieve at the highest level when the barriers to succeed are removed. The fact that these opportunities largely exist only in a sport in the year 2024 is shocking. It is proof that we can and must do more to advance disability inclusion – whether on the field of play, in the classroom, concert hall or boardroom.”
French athletes Alexis Hanquiquant, Nantenin Keita, Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Fabien Lamirault and Elodie Lorandi lit the cauldron at the end of ceremony, marking the beginning of the Paralympic Games in Paris. 4,463 athletes competed in the games, and 22 sporting events were showcased, including powerlifting, canoeing, wheelchair basketball, and more. Not only was the total 184 delegations showcased at the games a record number, but the Refugee Paralympic Team also introduced their largest team size to date.
The Refugee Paralympic Team made its debut in the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, with Ibraham Al Hussein and Shahrad Nasajpour competing in swimming and discus throwing respectively, says the BBC. The Refugee Paralympic Team aims to provide resources and support for aspiring refugee athletes who might otherwise not have access to such opportunities, supplying them with the materials they need to ensure their position to compete in the Paralympics. They represent the 120 million people who have fled their country or have been displaced around the world; the team consists of athletes from six countries playing in six sports: athletics, powerlifting, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, and fencing, says the IPC. In Paris, the Refugee Paralympic Team made history with 8 athletes and one guide, their largest number yet. This year, the team won their first ever medals in the Paralympics. These were taken by Zakia Khudadadi in the women’s taekwondo and Guillaume Junior Atangana in the men’s 400mT11 run. These bronze medals were record-breaking and “a dream,” said Khudadadi after her historical win. “Today, I am in a dream. This is for me, like life.” According to NPR, Khudadadi has been competing in taekwondo since the age of nine. She was born in Afghanistan, before escaping her country to come live in France. Before Paris, she participated in the Tokyo 2021 Paralympics, the second Afghan athlete to do so.
Concluding on September 8th, the Paralympics closing ceremony was held in the Stade de France. Many outstanding achievements were made by a plethora of athletes, including the home team. According to the Paris 2024 Press, France broke the record for most titles won in the Paralympics Games since they were hosted in Tokyo 2021. The Cauldron was lit for the ultimate time by music artist Santa, who performed her version of the song “Vivre pour le Meilleur”. Athletes Udo Didier, Frédéric Villeroux, Charles Noakes, and Gloria Agblemagnon transported the Paralympic flame to the Stade de France, where Aurélie Aubert and Mathieu Bosrgdon extinguished it. The Cauldron was then put out, signifying the end of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. The next Paralympics will be hosted in Los Angeles in 2028, setting the stage for even more records waiting to be broken by athletes of all backgrounds.
Sources: IPC, Paris 2024 Press, NPR, BBC
