Paris Prepares for the 2024 Paralympics: A Historic Event for Para Athletes
Paris is set to welcome approximately 4,400 Para athletes for the upcoming 2024 Paralympics, taking place from August 28 to September 8. Following the conclusion of the Summer 2024 Olympics, the city is refocusing its efforts on this significant sporting event. Notably, the opening ceremony will take place at the historic Place de la Concorde on August 28, marking an unprecedented moment as it will be the first time the ceremony is held outside of a traditional stadium setting.
The city’s organizers are capitalizing on the post-Olympic environment to prepare various venues for an array of competitions that encompass 23 distinct disciplines, including wheelchair rugby and para athletics. The Place de la Concorde has been active with construction projects following the Olympics, where it previously hosted skateboarding, breaking, and 3×3 basketball events.
Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, has expressed a commitment to leverage the excitement generated by the Olympic Games to foster a greater awareness around the issue of disability discrimination. “We aim to contribute to changing perceptions of disability with humility and respect,” he stated from Stoke Mandeville in the UK, a location integral to the origins of the Paralympic flame.
Most Olympic venues will be reused for the Paralympics, including the Palace of Versailles for para equestrian events, the Grand Palais for wheelchair fencing, and the venue beneath the Eiffel Tower, which transition from hosting beach volleyball to adaptable soccer for visually impaired athletes, known as blind football.
Despite the reduced hustle and bustle following the Olympics, security measures remain stringent. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has announced the deployment of approximately 25,000 police officers to ensure the safety of participants and spectators throughout the Paralympic Games.
Organizers are promising an extraordinary opening ceremony, anticipated to attract thousands of athletes alongside tens of thousands of spectators. Mr. Estanguet remarked, “These Paralympic Games must serve as a catalyst for collective reflection, fostering a more compassionate understanding of disability, which remains the most significant cause of discrimination in France. We are dedicated to contributing to this change in perspective.”
The Paris 2024 Paralympics will officially commence on August 28 and culminate on September 8, aiming to leave a lasting impact both in the realm of sports and beyond.
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