It is a special opening ceremony which has just ended on Friday March 4 at the Olympic Stadium in Beijing. In a climate of tension due to the war in Ukraine, the “Bird’s Nest” still celebrated the kickoff of the 13th edition of the Paralympic Winter Games.
A show of about 1h30 which wanted to emphasize accessibility and inclusion in order to honor the 47 delegations present.
Dignified, with a closed face… The moving parade of Ukrainian athletes
Logically, they were the most scrutinized on Friday in the Chinese capital. Positioned in fourth place during the Parade of Nations, the Ukrainian athletes paraded with restraint in front of a Chinese public who warmly applauded them.
In the wake of standard bearer Maksym Yarovyi, cross-country skier and 27-year-old biathlete, the fifteen members of the delegation advanced, their faces closed, without showing the slightest gesture of enthusiasm. A march away from the party that such a ceremony is supposed to represent, just broken by a gesture from some of the Paralympians, dressed in blue and yellow: a raised fist, a symbol of resistance and support for their compatriots engaged in the front against Russian troops.
6th in the medal standings at Pyeongchang in 2018, it’s hard to project any goals this winter for Ukraine. The main thing is elsewhere. Undecided until the end, her participation is “a miracle”, as explained Thursday at a press conference by the head of the Ukrainian Paralympic Committee Valeriy Sushkevych. As “a symbol illustrating that our country is still alive”.
The V for victory for the tricolor delegation
23rd nation to take part in the parade of athletes, France also gave the signal start of its Paralympic Games. Blue, white, red down jackets on the back, the tricolor delegation presented itself by mimicking the V for victory behind its standard bearer, the biathlete and cross-country skier Benjamin Daviet.
The five-time medalist in South Korea four years ago was accompanied by 21 compatriots (including staff and athletes), including snowboarders Laurent Vaglica and Mathias Menendez or skier Lou Braz-Dagand. No Marie Bochet or Arthur Bauchet on the other hand, expected tomorrow at the Yanqing National Alpine Ski Center for the descent (from three o’clock French time). Daviet, he will have to hurry to go to Zhangjiakou, 180 kilometers northwest of Beijing, in order to compete in the six kilometers in biathlon (from three hours, French time).
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“Peace!”, the committed speech of the President of the International Paralympic Committee for Ukraine
Following the backpedaling the day before on the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes, after having initially authorized them to compete under neutral status, the speech of the President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was awaited.
Andrew Parsons appeared in front of the stage giving voice to reaffirm the values defended by the Paralympic Games. Values that go “against war”he recalled. “I must start with a message of peace. As the president of an institution that promotes peace and respect, I am horrified by what is happening today.”
The Brazilian then continued: “The Olympic Truce was adopted by a UN motion and must be observed and respected, in no way violated. At the IPC, we aspire to live in a better, more inclusive world, free of war and conflict. It is a times made for dialogue, not for hatred (…) The Paralympic movement calls on the authorities of the world to promote peace. Sport can change things, it can transform people’s lives (…) Peace!” , he concluded.
