The Paris Paralympics kick off on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony, as the city continues to celebrate the success of the recent Olympics.
A new generation of Paralympians will join seasoned veterans in competing at many of the same venues used during the Olympic Games. Eighteen of the 35 Olympic venues will host Paralympic events, which will run until September 8. Among these is the Grand Palais, which received rave reviews for its ornate setting during fencing and taekwondo events.
La Defense Arena returns to host 141 gold-medal events in para-swimming, while the Stade de France will once again be the venue for track and field competitions.
The Games will officially open with a ceremony at Place de la Concorde, the central Paris square that hosted skateboarding and other urban sports during the Olympics. For the first time in Paralympic history, the opening ceremony will be held away from the main stadium, following the precedent set by the Olympic ceremony on the River Seine.
The Paralympic flame, symbolizing the spirit and legacy of the Games, was lit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in England—the birthplace of the Paralympics—and transported to France through the Channel Tunnel.
