close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

    • Paris Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony Celebrates Inclusive Event
    news

    Paris Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony Celebrates Inclusive Event

    Vaseline Posted on

    Caleb Jarreau and Gabriel Jackson
    | Special for USA TODAY

    play

    PARIS — Under dry air and a cool summer breeze, the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games opened on the Place de la Concorde on Wednesday.

    It was quite a contrast to the rainy opening ceremony of the Olympic Games that took place just over a month ago, and it suited the theme of the evening.

    The ceremony took place in a square formerly known as Place de la Révolution and called for a revolution in para-athletics. The event began with ‘discord’ and ended with ‘concord’. The event lasted almost four hours and took the spectators on a journey focused on the inclusion of people with disabilities.

    The outdoor venue provided the perfect setting for the first ever Paralympic Opening Ceremony to be held outside a stadium, right in the heart of the host city.

    French President Emmanuel Macron declared the 2024 Paralympic Games open at 10:37 p.m. local time, 4:37 p.m. ET, marking the start of the 11-day event that will see 168 delegations and 4,400 Paralympians participate. From dance numbers to videos highlighting the lack of disability inclusion, the opening ceremony featured a variety of segments that underscored the 2024 theme, “Paradox: From Discord to Concord.”

    There was a lot going on, and even more to accommodate the simultaneous performances in just one location — many of which weren’t shown on NBC’s broadcast. So, here are five things you missed on the broadcast.

    Attend the ceremony

    The City of Light hosted a memorable Paralympic Opening Ceremony at the iconic Place de la Concorde and Champs-Élysées. Unlike the Olympics, the ceremony was a free public event to honor the Games’ mission of inclusivity and accessibility.

    The inclusivity did come with a few hiccups. Spectators had to go through long and chaotic security to enter the outdoor venue. As the ceremony continued, the stands continued to fill with 15,000 spectators, while 35,000 people filled the square.

    On stage, the event was a visually stunning spectacle. Artistic director Thomas Jolly and creative director Alexander Ekman created a program that not only reflected the culture of the home country, but also embraced the place that people with disabilities have in society.

    The entrances of some artists and the spectators differed.

    As the performers filed in, NBC viewers watched a video of former Paralympic athlete and TV actor Théo Curin leading other Paralympic athletes on their way to the ceremony. They were all French.

    Armed in a red Toyota covered in replicas of the Paralympic mascot “Phryge”, Curin rushed onto the outdoor area and left the same way he had come: down a street towards the Bassin Octogonal.

    After he left, there was a strange change in the music, after which the red car returned after about 14 minutes to drop off performer Christine and the Queens.

    Fans can interact with athletes

    Most of the broadcast was focused on the interactions between fans and athletes during the parade.

    The Brazilian fans were especially exuberant. The athletes started the wave with the fans and played on the energy of the visiting crowd as they entered. The delegation from Canada and Denmark also enjoyed interacting with fans during the athletes’ parade.

    Naturally, the home nation France received the loudest applause as they entered the stadium to an enthusiastic rendition of Les Champs-Elysees, while the crowd welcomed their own version.

    All in all, the evening felt like a big festival for those in attendance. Fans danced with each other in the stands and joined in chants and songs throughout the nearly four-hour ceremony.

    Turning sets over

    Unlike the Olympics, where performances took place in different locations, the Paralympic Opening Ceremony required behind-the-scenes coordination to transform the sets and move on to the next act.

    While fans and cameras focused on the red, white and blue smoke from French fighter jets enveloping the arena, an army of volunteers quickly cleared away the rubble and dust left behind by the spectacle.

    The props and scenery also required a lot of work out of sight to ensure the event ran smoothly. Performers would stand behind the stage to quietly grab sticks while the show continued on the main stage—unbeknownst to the viewer. There were also officials along the sides of the venue making sure performers could get on and off the stage without much delay.

    Athletes leave the parade

    Members of the U.S. delegation gave up their seats after the parade and opted for the exit. When you look at the Paralympic schedule, the option to leave makes sense.

    The Paralympics kick off with para-badminton at 8:30 a.m. local time, a pretty tight turnaround after the opening ceremony that dragged on until midnight. The Americans weren’t the only ones.

    Several countries started playing early in the morning and the Chinese delegation had more free seats than when the parade started.

    Where is the torch?

    For most in the outdoor venue, NBC’s circular screen broadcast provided useful views. When the cauldron — which also lit up the sky during the Olympics — rose Wednesday, it was the only time many in the venue could see it.

    At the end of the broadcast, fans saw a festive scene to conclude the successful evening of the Paralympic Games.

    Vaseline
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like