Opening Ceremony of Paris 2024 Paralympics Set to Begin

The Paris 2024 Paralympics will officially commence with an Opening Ceremony scheduled for Thursday. The event will take place at the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees, starting at 4:00 AM AEST.

Australia will be represented by a contingent of 158 athletes, among whom are 61 debutants. The team will be co-captained by Angela Ballard and Curtis McGrath, while Madison de Rozario and Brenden Hall, esteemed recipients of the Order of Australia, will serve as flag-bearers for the nation.

Track and field athlete Madison de Rozario has achieved remarkable success with six Paralympic medals, including two golds, three silvers, and one bronze. Her gold medals in the 800m T53 and marathon T54 events were earned at the Tokyo Paralympic Games three years ago.

Brenden Hall has also made notable contributions, winning the 400m freestyle S9 Paralympic titles at both the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games. He was part of the team that secured gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the London 2012 event.

Australia has enjoyed significant success at the Paralympics, amassing a total of 1,205 medals, with 80 of those coming from the 179-member team that participated in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games.

This will mark the first time Paris hosts the Paralympic Games. The Opening Ceremony is expected to be a unique celebration, similar to the spectacular show planned for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Approximately 65,000 spectators are anticipated to gather for the Opening Ceremony. Thomas Jolly, a distinguished French theatre director and actor, has been appointed as the artistic director for the ceremonies.

The ceremony will commence at the Champs-Elysees, a site that epitomizes French grandeur, featuring a parade with 4,400 Paralympians from 184 delegations. Following this, the official parade will progress to the Place de la Concorde, a historic square known for its philosophical, literary, and cultural heritage. Here, athletes and attendees will be treated to various artistic performances.

The central theme for the Paralympics Opening Ceremony centers around inclusion, aiming to transform perceptions of disabilities and foster a more inclusive society.

According to Tony Estanguet, the president of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, “This ceremony at the heart of the city is a strong symbol illustrating our ambition to capitalise on our country hosting its first-ever Paralympic Games to position the issue of inclusion for people with disabilities at the heart of our society.”

The Paris 2024 Paralympics Opening Ceremony is set to start at 4:00 AM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Thursday, August 29. Live streaming will be available in Australia on 9Now and Stan, with broadcasts occurring across Network Nine TV channels.