More than twelve million tickets sold: the Olympic Games and Paralympics have probably never been so successful. Emmanuel Macron is now passing the baton to Los Angeles.
The Paralympics came to an end with a colorful ceremony in Paris on Sunday evening. The six-week Olympic period in the French capital ended with the extinguishing of the Paralympic flame on Sunday evening.
Despite the pouring rain, the atmosphere at the Stade de France was exuberant. French President Emmanuel Macron thanked the organizers and participants on the online service X: “The flame that you have ignited in each of us will continue to illuminate our lives.”
“The memories of this historic summer will stay with us forever,” said Tony Estanguet, head of the organization, at the closing ceremony. A few kilometers from the stadium, the Paralympic flame was extinguished in the Jardin des Tuileries. It had been carried into the night sky by a balloon every evening to the delight of thousands of onlookers.
Under the motto “Paris is a party”, the Stade de France in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis was transformed into a huge dance floor. Electro-pop pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre and 23 other well-known artists provided the music.
Germany finishes eleventh at Paralympics
Like the spectacular Olympic opening ceremony, the closing ceremony of the Paralympics also took place in pouring rain. However, this did not dampen the spirits of the more than 60,000 spectators and the athletes in the stadium.
The German flag was carried into the arena by swimmer Elena Semechin and fencer Maurice Schmidt. The German Paralympics team won 49 medals in Paris and finished eleventh in the medal table. China took first place for the sixth time in a row with 220 medals, while host France finished eighth in the medal table.
The Summer Olympics began in Paris on July 26 and lasted until August 11. The competitions for athletes with disabilities then began on August 28 and have now also ended.
The French capital had set new standards with opening ceremonies that took place not in a stadium but in front of spectacular backdrops in the heart of Paris. The competitions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games also took place in front of sights such as the Eiffel Tower, the Grand Palais and the Place de la Concorde.
Organizers celebrate “most spectacular Paralympics ever”
A total of 12.1 million tickets were sold for both sporting events. According to the organizers, the previous record was 11 million tickets.
“Paris 2024 is quite simply the new benchmark for the Paralympic Games in every respect,” said the President of the International Paralympic Committee, Andrew Parsons. They were “record-breaking” days, “the most spectacular Paralympic Games ever.”
The next Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will take place in Los Angeles in 2028. The mayor of the Californian city, Karen Bass, attended the closing ceremony on Sunday evening with the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo.
President Macron expressed his pride in the successful Paralympics in several posts on X. There were “so many shared emotions,” Macron wrote, and thanked the artists, volunteers and other participants in the closing ceremony and “all the French people.” “What pride!” added the head of state, concluding with the words: “Los Angeles, it’s your turn.”
Source: Stern
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