2024-08-29 03:56:41
The Austrian delegation, including 23 active participants, was the tenth of the 168 nations that came through the Avenue des Champs-Élysées at the largest square in the French capital. The red-white-red flag was carried by badminton player Koósz and dressage rider Puch.
The XVII. The Paris Summer Paralympic Games officially kicked off on Wednesday evening. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, announced that the World Games for athletes with disabilities will open at 10:37 pm in front of a spectacular backdrop on the Place de la Concorde. The Austrian delegation, including 23 active participants, was the tenth of the 168 nations that came through the Avenue des Champs-Élysées at the largest square in the French capital.
Badminton player Henriett Koósz and dressage rider Pepo Puch carried the red-white-red flag. “It is the greatest honor you can have as an Austrian athlete. It was a great start, a highlight of my Paralympic career,” said Puch, who has already won six medals at the Paralympics. Debutante Koósz was similarly moved. “For me it is the most important task you can do as an athlete for Austria.” Of the 23 active red-white-red members, 17 took part in the march.
Fireworks on the Place de la Concorde. APA / AFP / Dimitar Dilkoff
The organizers had previously announced that they would show “the same ambition” for the opening of the Paralympic Games as they had shown for the Olympic Games. These began with an extraordinary ceremony on the Seine which inspired worldwide enthusiasm.
Thoughtful programming should leave “showing.”
At Place de la Concorde, more than 500 artists and performers delivered a colorful but thought-provoking program into the night, delighting over 50,000 local audiences and over 300 million people in front of their televisions around the world . “A ceremony that should leave a lasting impression” is the motto. After the athletes’ parade for an hour and a half, the French flag was raised in the night sky in front of the Eiffel Tower shining in the background with the sound of the French national anthem “Marseillaise”.
torch bearers of France. APA / AFP / Franck Fife
Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee, appealed against the idea of peace in his speech. “We are in the most important phase in recent memory. At a time when conflicts are increasing around the world. Let sport help bring us together again,” said the Brazilian official. He also used the motto of today’s French Republic “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” to promote more humanity in society and acceptance of people with disabilities.
Astronaut McFall on the Olympic flag
President Macron then briefly and succinctly gave the opening signal for the world’s third largest sporting event with the words “I hereby declare that the 2024 Paralympic Games are open.” The Paralympic flag was brought to astronaut John McFall, who is trying to become the first disabled person to fly into space and won silver at the Para Games in 2008. The Paralympic flame was finally lit by French para-athletes at 11:34 pm
Raising the French flag. GEPA Pictures / Patrick Steiner
The sports competitions start on Thursday. In red-white-red, flag bearer Koósz, archer Michael Meier as well as Janina Falk and Andreas Ernhofer are swimming. Until September 8, around 4,400 athletes from all over the world will be fighting for medals in 22 sports. (APA)
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