Paris Paralympics opening ceremony: Games begin in blaze of colour in Place de la Concorde

More than 4000 athletes from 168 countries paraded down the Champs-Elysees in front of thousands of spectators before entering Place de la Concorde for the opening ceremony of the Paris Paralympics.

The Arc de Triomphe is seen during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony. Picture: AFP

Those pesky Parisians just keep rubbing Brisbane’s nose in it.

Just a little over two weeks since they delivered one of the greatest Summer Olympics in history, the French have gone and done it again, raising the bar through the roof for the Paralympics with a stunning Opening Ceremony in the heart of the French capital.

Spoiled for choices, Paralympic organisers broke with convention by deciding to stage the ceremony away from the main athletics stadium, but didn’t repeat the dreary start to the Olympics when competitors sailed down the Seine in torrential rain.

Instead, the Paralympic parade took place in perfect summer weather down the cobbles of the Champs-Elysees avenue from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde where the festivities climaxed after sunset against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.

The parade of athletes for the Paris Paralympics took place on the Champs-Elysees avenue with the Arc de Triomphe in the background

“Welcome to the country of love and revolution,” said Tony Estanguet, the president of Paris 2024. “Tonight is the start of the most beautiful of revolutions, the Paralympic revolution.”

Queenslanders might beg to differ, but the Caxton and Breakfast Creek hotels don’t quite stack up against France’s historical monuments but there was still a simple message for Brisbane’s dawdling organisers to get cracking and think outside the square.

Once regarded as an afterthought to the Olympics, the Paralympics are now a mega event and they kicked off in Paris in a blaze of colour, pageantry and a powerful message promoting inclusion and changing the way disabilities are looked at.

There was also some controversy with Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo becoming the first openly transgender athlete to compete at the Paralympics.

Petrillo, who is visually impaired, was selected to represent her country in the women’s T12 classification, more than four decades after being inspired watching Pietro Mennea win gold in the 200 metres at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

“I said I wanted to be like him,” said Petrillo. “But I wanted to do it as a woman because I didn’t feel like a man, I didn’t feel like myself.”

Madison De Rozario and Brenden Hall carried the Australian flag at the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games

The Australian team, which comprises 158 athletes including 61 debutants, came out third last, before the United States and France, and was represented by just 34 competitors at the ceremony.

“Bit smaller than normal,” the Australian team’s chef de mission Kate McLoughlin explained.

“A lot of athletes have made the decision to prioritise performance, particularly those who are competing on day one, and we respect that decision.”

Co-captained by Angela Ballard and Curtis McGrath, the Aussie team were led by their two flag-bearers, veteran swimmer Brenden Hall and wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario.

“I’ve actually got no idea how to do this,” de Rozario confessed after being told she had been offered the honour after winning double gold at Tokyo in 2021.

“This is not in my skill set to wave an enormous flag. I’m optimistic Brendan will do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to holding the flag.”

In keeping with tradition, the Games were declared open by French president Emmanuel Macron during a dazzling ceremony that culminated in five French athletes lighting the same cauldron used during the Olympics, which was attached to a hot-air balloon and flown over Paris during the Games.

The spectacular hot air balloon that will carry the cauldron during the Paris Paralympics

Earlier, Hong Kong’s legendary Hollywood film star Kung-fu daredevil Jackie Chan made an appearance on the streets of Paris as one of the torchbearers, setting the tone for what promises to be an action-packed 10 days of competition that gets underway on Thursday.

Australia is expected to win around 80-90 medals and potentially return to the top five countries on the table after slipping to eighth at Tokyo.

“I think every athlete on this team is hoping to come away with a medal,” McLaughlin said.

“We will celebrate all successes on this team. Whether it’s the 60 debutants on this team, whether it’s athletes who podium (or) whether it’s athletes who achieve a personal best.

“There is so much to celebrate.”

Originally published as Paris Paralympics opening ceremony: Games begin in blaze of colour in Place de la Concorde