Curtain is drawn on Paris Paralympics, ending French capital's Olympic summer

Curtain is drawn on Paris Paralympics, ending French capital’s Olympic summer

Posted by author September 8, 2024 Sports

Artistic director Thomas Jolly has promised a huge dance party at the Stade de France on Sunday as the Paralympics draw to a close, putting an end to the 2024 Paris Games and six weeks of thrilling sport in the French capital.

A summer sporting bonanza that started under pouring rain on July 26 with a remarkable opening ceremony on the Seine River ended Sunday with the Paralympics closing ceremony at a rain-soaked Stade de France.

It lowered the curtain on successful back-to-back events that captivated fans and raised the bar high for others to follow. Good luck Los Angeles in 2028.

As the stadium was lit up in the blue, white and red colors of the French national flag, a trumpet player played the national anthem “La Marseillaise” and Paralympic flagbearers then made their way into the stadium carrying national flags to the sound of “Chariots of Fire” by Vangelis.

“Everyone can see what an inclusive world is like,” Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris Olympics in 2024, said in his closing speech. “Now there is no turning back.”

The International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons said France excelled itself as a host in both Games.

“Paris 2024 has set a benchmark for all future Paralympic Games,” Parsons said. “For a country famous for its fashion and its food, France is now famous for its fans.”

The crowd clapped along to a breakdancing set, before Tony Award winner Ali Stroker performed the American national anthem as a part of the handoff to Los Angeles.

Then, the crowd roared as famed French electronic music composer Jean-Michel Jarre began closing out the ceremony, which was again led by artistic director Thomas Jolly.