‘We need to evolve’: Paralympic athletes showcased every four years but largely out of the spotlight

Medals are up for grabs in a wide array of world-class competitions at the Paris Paralympics, which opened in a colourful and hope-filled ceremony ahead of 11 days of competition. The action includes track, cycling, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, badminton, archery, goalball — a form of football for the visually impaired — and boccia, a version of bowls. French President Emmanuel Macron declared the Games open on Wednesday during a ceremony in a balmy Place de la Concorde in central Paris — the first time a Paralympic opening ceremony has taken place away from the main stadium. The 4,400 competitors from 168 delegations paraded into the arena as the sun set with host nation France entering last to a standing ovation from 30,000 spectators. The fine weather was in sharp contrast to the heavy rain which fell throughout the Olympics opening ceremony on July 26. International Paralympic Committee (IPC) president Andrew Parsons told the athletes and spectators he hoped for an "inclusion revolution", before Macron officially declared the Games open. The Paralympic flag was carried into the square by John McFall, a British Paralympic sprinter who has been selected by the European Space Agency to be the first ‘parastronaut’. French Olympian Florent Manaudou brought the flame into the arena to complete the four-day torch relay. Five French Paralympians, including 2020 gold medallists Alexis Hanquinquant and Nantenin Keita, lit the already-iconic cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens. Of the 35 Olympic venues, 18 will be used for the Paralympics including the ornate Grand Palais and the Stade de France. For a look at all of the world-class action, FRANCE 24 is joined by Alasdair Donaldson, Head of Para Sport at Loughborough University.

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