Paris Paralympics 2024: Formal Ceremony to Commence at Stoke Mandeville Hospital
The Paris Paralympics 2024 will officially commence with the lighting of the Paralympic flame at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, known as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. On Saturday, four days prior to the opening of the Games, the ceremonial lighting will take place at midday, honoring the legacy initiated by German neurologist Ludwig Guttmann in 1948. Guttmann organized sporting events for injured veterans at this facility, resulting in the inaugural Stoke Mandeville Games, which coincided with the 1948 London Olympics.
The ceremony will be graced by notable attendees, including Tony Estanguet, the President of the Paris 2024 organizing committee, and Andrew Parsons, the President of the International Paralympic Committee. The enlightening of the torch will be performed by two distinguished British Paralympians: Helene Raynsford, the first Paralympic champion in para-rowing at the 2008 Beijing Games, and Gregor Ewan, a seasoned competitor in wheelchair curling.
Following the ceremony, the torch will journey through the Channel Tunnel, accompanied by 24 British torchbearers who will pass it to their French counterparts, who will then transport it to Calais. A series of 12 torches will subsequently travel across France from Sunday to Wednesday, culminating in the arrival of the flame at the Tuileries Gardens in Paris.
The Paris Paralympic Games will commence with an opening ceremony on August 28, linking the Champs-Élysées and the Place de la Concorde. The event is anticipated to attract an audience of around 4,400 athletes participating in 549 events across 18 competition venues, including prominent sites such as the Grand Palais and Stade de France. As of the latest reports, approximately 2.5 million tickets have been made available, with a significant portion already sold, indicating high public interest and anticipation for this significant sporting event.
The Paris Paralympics promise to be a landmark occasion, celebrating athleticism and the spirit of inclusion, as they will be held in France for the first time, thereby contributing to the ongoing evolution of the Paralympic movement initiated at Stoke Mandeville.
Post Comment