Categories: World

Paralympics end with spectacular light show and dance party in Paris | Paris Olympics 2024 News


The Paralympic Games have come to an end with a spectacular light show and dance party capping a final day of competition that saw two world records fall.

Addressing the closing ceremony at a packed Stade de France, chief Paris 2024 organiser and former gold medal-winning canoeist Tony Estanguet said the six weeks of the Paralympics and the Olympics would remain “etched in people’s memories”.

“This summer, France had a date with history, and the country showed up,” he said.

More than 4,400 athletes from 168 Paralympic delegations partied to the best of French electronic dance music during the closing ceremony despite the rain.

Earlier, Morocco’s Fatima Ezzahra El Idrissi smashed the world record in the women’s marathon for runners with visual impairments.

El Idrissi finished the 42km (26.2 miles) course in 2 hours, 48 minutes and 36 seconds, beating the previous record by nearly six minutes.

“I wasn’t running for a time, only for a medal,” the 29-year-old Moroccan said.

Also on the final day of competition, Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo broke her own world record in women’s para powerlifting.

China topped the Paralympics medal table with 94 golds, while Great Britain was second with 49 and the United States third with 36.

Ukraine’s athletes overcame the formidable obstacles posed by their country’s war against invading Russian forces to finish in seventh place with 22 golds while France was eighth with 19.

China has finished top of the medal table at every Paralympics since Athens in 2004.

The next Paralympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

Despite initial fears about ticket sales, the Paralympics took place in mainly full stadiums, benefitting from the feel-good factor of the highly successful Olympics, which ended on August 11.

Parsons said the Paris Paralympics had shown that “change starts with sport”.



Source link

admin2

Share
Published by
admin2

Recent Posts

Once a tourism lifeline, the KVR Trail remains washed out and waiting for answers

Nearly five years after an atmospheric river devastated large sections of southern British Columbia, communities…

57 minutes ago

‘Started to feel like destiny’: Toronto Marlies celebrate Calder Cup victory

The Toronto Marlies celebrated their Calder Cup victory with friends, family and fans on Monday…

4 hours ago

VIDEO: ETF of the Week: VFLO

On this episode of the “ETF of the Week” podcast, VettaFi’s Head of Research, Todd…

4 hours ago

Haaland scores two as Norway beat Senegal 3-2, enter World Cup knockouts | World Cup 2026

Senegal fought back until stoppage time but couldn’t draw level and must aim to beat…

4 hours ago

Bitcoin Bears Eye $60,700 Target As BTC Rejects Key Resistance

Trusted Editorial content, reviewed by leading industry experts and seasoned editors. Ad Disclosure Bitcoin has…

5 hours ago

Mayor Knack urging Edmonton to conserve water amid heavy rainfall, wet forecast – Edmonton

The mayor of Alberta’s capital city is calling for residents and businesses to keep their…

7 hours ago