The Paris 2024 Paralympics have come to a thrilling close at the Stade de France, marking the end of a vibrant summer of sports in the French capital.
The opening ceremony set a festive tone, with the stadium illuminated in the French flag's blue, white, and red. A trumpet player performed the national anthem as Paralympic flagbearers entered the stadium to the iconic theme from the film Chariots of Fire.
The Chinese mainland secured the top spot on the medals table in Paris, continuing their streak of leading the Paralympics since Athens in 2004. Great Britain claimed second place, followed closely by the United States in third.
In their closing remarks, Tony Estanguet, President of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee, and Andrew Parsons, International Paralympic Committee President, addressed the enthusiastic crowd. The baton was passed for the next Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028, with Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo handing the Paralympic flag to Parsons, who then passed it to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass.
The ceremony concluded with the extinguishing of the Paralympic flame and cauldron, followed by a concert featuring some of France's best electronic music talents, leaving attendees with lasting memories of the event.
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Paralympics draws to a close, China finish top of medals table
cgtn.com
