PThis week, posters promoting cross-border franglais are plastered on the walls of every Paris metro station. Alongside images of Paralympic athletes running, jumping and spinning, there is a slogan aimed at the residents of the French capital: “The game is not over.”
For those unfamiliar with 1980s video arcade lingo, “Game Over” was the message that announced the moment a machine gobbled up your money. The grammatically twisted “is not” was overlaid by Paris 2024 organizers to remind locals that the summer of sporting excellence goes on. The Paralympics begin on Wednesday night, and every Parisian is welcome.
After months of worry about low ticket sales and questions about whether French audiences would embrace disability sport, there has been some good news in recent days. More than 2 million tickets out of 2.5 million have now been sold, and several events are sold out. The regional government of the Île de France region has announced that it will finally make the Paris metro accessible to wheelchair users, an ongoing concern surrounding the Games.
And on Wednesday evening, an opening ceremony will once again take place in the heart of the city, which organizers say will feel like a “giant hug” for the 44,000 athletes who will compete over the next 11 days.
The opening parade will start on the Champs Élysées and then move along the “most beautiful avenue in the world” before a more traditional outdoor ceremony on the Place de la Concorde. Continuing Paris’ central theme of openness to all, organisers say they want to broaden the general message of welcome and inclusion to include a specific message for people with disabilities.
Tony Estanguet, President of Paris 2024, said: “This ceremony in the heart of the city is a powerful symbol that illustrates our ambition… to put the issue of inclusion of people with disabilities at the heart of our society.”
The President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons, promises an incredible ceremony. “I like the French expression “The party goes on” and tomorrow’s opening ceremony will be fantastic, it will be incredible, without a doubt,” he said.
“The concept was always that (with the event) on the Champs Élysées and Place de la Concorde, the city would embrace the Paralympic athletes and the Paralympic movement. We see it as a huge hug for our athletes and that couldn’t be more positive.”
Estanguet stresses that efforts to get French and Parisians interested in disability sports are ongoing. Official estimates suggest that 300,000 visitors are expected for the Games, about half the number who travelled to the Olympics. Involving locals is therefore increasingly important, especially to fill the 80,000-seat Stade de France, which will once again host the athletics programme. With ticket sales soaring, organisers are now working to create additional space at the Eiffel Tower Arena and the Palace of Versailles, as events at seven sites are already sold out.
“What made the Olympic Games a success was the atmosphere,” said Estanguet. “The fans sang the Marseillaise more than ever before and that is the result of our work to have a space in each venue where there were very active fans. We found that worked very well and we will do exactly the same at the Paralympic Games.”
A certain amount of scepticism remains on site, especially since the games are scheduled to end The Les Vacances and the return to school. But Estanguet says the planning was deliberate. “We deliberately chose to place the games during the back-to-school period in France because we want to take advantage of the opportunities it creates,” he said. “Back-to-school period is a good time to send messages to students, show inclusion and accessibility, and provide an opportunity for education.”
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“I believe that the French can make a difference and make these Paralympics their own. With the Olympic Games, we exceeded our dreams and created a real enthusiasm, and I believe that the Paralympics will do the same.”
Another reason for optimism is that exciting, high-level sport is guaranteed. New fans will experience thrilling events unique to disability sport, such as the speed and aggressiveness of wheelchair rugby or the precision and strategy of bocce. They will also be visiting the various stadiums at a time when performance in disability sport is increasing almost exponentially. A record 182 countries will be taking part in the competition and, as Parsons put it, “world records will be broken.”
ParalympicsGB will be hoping to build on the outstanding performance of three years ago in Tokyo. Second in the medal table and 124 medals in total, it was one of the best British performances at a Paralympics, particularly given the challenges posed by Covid. With a target of 100-140 medals this time around and with 215 athletes and guides on the team, ParalympicsGB will be looking to maintain the record of never finishing outside the top five nations.
On Tuesday, Terry Bywater and Lucy Shukur were announced as the British flag bearers for the opening ceremony. Shukur, a wheelchair tennis player, will be taking part in her fifth Games, while Terry Bywater will be making a return appearance in wheelchair basketball after six previous appearances. “I’m pretty emotional,” said Bywater. “This is my seventh Games, I’m actually wearing the number 7 vest as well – so it’s all a bit crazy right now. I’m just super, super proud.”
“This is not just about me, this is about the 215 athletes who are here, all the staff, my family, my wife, my son, my deceased family who have always stood by me – I will do it for everyone.”
