In Paris, the opening of the Summer Paralympics took place, which, like the 2024 Olympics, was called unique. It was the first time the Paralympic Games were held in France, although the country had already hosted the Olympic Games three times. Ukraine was represented at the 2024 Paralympics by 140 para-athletes who competed in 22 sports. At the opening ceremony, the Ukrainian flag was carried by rower Roman Polianskyi and fencer Olena Fedota-Issaieva.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony impressed with its grandeur. Like the 2024 Olympics, the Paralympics were not opened at a stadium but in the heart of Paris – at Place de la Concorde. Hundreds of thousands of people witnessed this grand event between the Luxor Obelisk and the Arc de Triomphe. The parade of Paralympics delegations passed through the Champs-Élysées from Place Clemenceau to Place de la Concorde. Nearly 4,400 athletes took part.
The main director of the ceremony, Thierry Reboul, mentioned that in addition to the usual ceremonial moments, four stages were set up at Place de la Concorde where a completely new show took place. 140 dancers performed on these stages, including people with disabilities.
Main Structure of the Paralympics
The central symbol of the Paralympics in Paris was the Arc de Triomphe, where the agitos – the symbol of the Paralympic Movement – were displayed. This symbol consists of three asymmetrical crescents in red, blue, and green colors symbolizing the movement of Paralympians towards a shared goal. Previously, the agitos were displayed on Tower Bridge in London in 2012 and on Tokyo Bay in 2021.
This time, unlike previous games, the symbols of the Olympics and Paralympics appeared simultaneously and were clearly visible from the Champs-Élysées, reaching a height of almost 50 meters.
Paralympic Medals
The medals of the 2024 Paralympic Games are designed in the French style and contain a piece of the Eiffel Tower. The front side of the medals is the same for both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with polished gold symbolizing the City of Light. The reverse side of the medals is engraved with “Paris 2024” in Braille, allowing visually impaired athletes to feel the value of their award.
Ukrainian Team at the Paralympics
Ukraine is represented by 140 athletes at the 2024 Paralympic Games, including 96 men and 44 women. They will compete in 17 out of 22 sports, which will be a record for Ukraine at the Paralympic Games. Ukrainians will compete in disciplines such as athletics, powerlifting, judo, archery, table tennis, wheelchair fencing, and others.
At the previous Paralympic Games in Tokyo, Ukrainian athletes won 98 medals, including 24 gold, 47 silver, and 27 bronze, ranking sixth in the overall medal table.
What about Russians and Belarusians?
This time, for the first time since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports were allowed to compete in the Paralympics. However, they will participate as neutral athletes, without the right to use the national symbols of their countries, and their results will not be included in the medal table. In total, 90 Russian athletes and 8 Belarusian athletes will compete at the Paralympics.
