Games NOT Over – Paralympics to Begin in Paris
Serious Sports, Fun and Excitement Once Again Paris has been taking a break from Olympic excitement for the past ten days, but that rest and relaxation is set to end shortly – once the Paralympic Games arrive in the City of Light. Speaking of “light”, the Paralympic torch will be lit on August 25 th in the English village of Stoke- Mandeville, which is the historic birthplace of Paralympic sports. The first games were organized by neuro-surgeon Sir Ludwig Guttmann for WWII veterans with spinal cord injuries who were patients in the Stoke-Mandeville Hospital. This event was the forerunner of the modern Paralympic Games and featured sixteen archers in a single day of competition on July 29 th 1948. Paralympics 2024 is the 16 th edition - it is the first time that Paris is hosting the Summer Paralympics. There will be around 4,400 athletes participating (1,859 women), representing 184 delegations and 23 disciplines. On August 25 th , the torch will make its way from Stoke-Mandeville to
Calais via the tunnel under the English Channel. Half-way through the tunnel, 24 British athletes will pass the flame to 24 French athletes to complete its journey to France. Once it arrives, it will be divided
into 12 flames that will be lit on the edge of France and begin their travel to Paris. A total of 1000 Paralympic torchbearers will ensure its safe passage to light the Olympic cauldron during the Opening Ceremonies on August 28 th . (The beautiful Olympic “Vasque” will return to the Tuileries Gardens and will be open to the public from August 29 th -September 7 th .) What Apartments du Louvre Guests Need to Know First off, the Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde will get the Paralympic party
started and these sites are within walking distance of Apartments du Louvre. The Opening Ceremonies will take place outdoors, parading down the Champs-Elysees to the Place de la Concorde on Wednesday, August 28 th from 8-11 PM. Thomas Jolly, the same artistic director of the Olympics magnificent Opening Ceremony on the Seine, has assured us this will be a show of unity, an unprecedented spectacle in the heart of the city. When the Parade of Nations arrives at Place de la Concorde, 65,000 spectators will witness a spectacular show of hundreds of artists on four stages. The internationally renowned Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman is directing the staging and choreography of the
Opening Ceremony. With more than 150 dancers, including many professional dancers with disabilities, the gigantic stage of the Concorde will be alive with inventive, daring and sometimes endearing choreography…not to be missed.
Where the Action Will Be
All competitions begin on August 29 th and will take place in 20 exceptional venues. Here’s just a sampling: Wheelchair tennis at Roland Garros; wheelchair basketball at the Bercy Arena; blind football at the Eiffel Tower Stadium and Para archery at the Invalides. You can find
all the relevant information on where to watch and how to get your tickets at the official Olympics website: https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024. Tickets are only digital so beware of any scam sites that try to sell you paper tickets. This is the only place to purchase them.
If you can’t get tickets, head to the “Terrace des Jeux” at Hotel de Ville, a short walk from Apartments du Louvre. Here everyone can enjoy the games and initiations to several sports. There are 2 giant screens with live broadcasts of competitions as well as multi-sports fields, an athletics track and a climbing wall for future athletes. From August 28 th to September 8 th the terrace will be open daily. It is free and can accommodate up to 3000 people at a time.
So, no excuses – Ready, Set, Go to Paralympics 2024!
Comentários