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Writer's pictureSakpisethpagna Hoy

The Paralympics: A Summary

Unbeknownst to many, the Paralympics, a competition held after its more popular event, the Olympics, has recently ended. The Paralympics, similar to the Olympics, is a competition involving people of different countries competing in different sports, the only difference being that the competitors are disabled in a way, whether it is by blindness or missing limbs. The Paris Paralympics 2024 has seen the emergence of many world records made.

To start off the Paralympics, the opening ceremony begins with the athletes all parading through Avenue des Champs-Élysées, a popular sight in Paris. During the ceremony, a performance showcasing the stellar ability of disabled artists at the Place de la Concorde which included musicians and blind visual performers. After the national anthem is played, Andrew Parsons, president of the International Paralympic Committee and Tony Estanguet, president of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, take to the stand and give speeches vying for perseverance and acceptance. The ceremony concludes with inspirational messages, other various performances, and the lighting of the torch.

The Paralympics feature many athletes who are not only strong enough to push past their disabilities, but also strong in a physical sense. The Paralympic athlete’s strength has brought about many new world records for the year 2024. Here are the categories in which a record has been broken and how much of this category has had a record broken this year:

Para Archery - Three World Records

Para Athletics - Fourty World Records

Para Swimming - Twenty-Nine World Records

Para Cycling Track - Fifteen World Records

Para Rowing - Two World Records

Para Powerlifting - Eight World Records

Structured parallel to the opening ceremony, the Paralympics closes off with many performances along with a speech to give gratitude toward the support of the crowd and to build up anticipation for the next Paralympic event in Los Angeles. The Paralympics has shown the world the tenacity and strength of not just how hard humanity works but also how we can overcome any obstacle in our path.

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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