In much milder weather conditions than during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, para-athletes and artists put on a great show on Wednesday at Place de la Concorde… Find the best photos of the event.
A splendid paradox. A little over a month after the launch of the Olympic Games, inaugurated by a grandiose spectacle along the Seine, the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games was in full swing on Wednesday, August 28, at Place de la Concorde and on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. Here are the most striking moments in pictures.
To the rhythm of the melody proposed by the Canadian musician Chilly Gonzales, able-bodied and disabled dancers performed “Discorde” on the stage of the Concorde. (THIBAULT CAMUS / POOL)
French artist Christine and the Queens has offered a very personal pop adaptation of Edith Piaf’s essential song, “Non, je ne regrette rien”. (BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)
The Patrouille de France flew over the Place de la Concorde. A superb spectacle lit by the setting sun over the capital. (BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)
The approximately 4,400 para-athletes from the 168 delegations present paraded on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées, in front of 50,000 spectators. (DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP)
Led by its flag bearers, Nantenin Keïta and Alexis Hanquinquant, the French delegation was the last to parade. Music by Joe Dassin and Johnny Hallyday accompanied the 150 or so French athletes on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées. (DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP)
Lille singer Lucky Love, born without a left arm, performed his song “My Ability” on the stage of the Concorde. (ZAC GOODWIN / MAXPPP)
Already played during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the “Marseillaise” revisited by Victor Le Masne rang out again. For the occasion, the tricolor flag was projected onto the obelisk on the Place de la Concorde. (GONZALO FUENTES / POOL)
“Sportography”. In this new tableau, able-bodied and disabled dancers come together in a performance halfway between a dance show and a sporting event. (DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP)
German para-athlete Markus Rehm, three-time Paralympic long jump champion, carries the Olympic flame from the Place de la Concorde to the Jardin des Tuileries, followed by other torchbearers. (DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP)
Charles-Antoine Kouakou, Elodie Lorandi, Fabien Lamirault, Alexis Hanquinquant and Nantenin Keïta had the honour of being the last bearers of the Paralympic flame and lit the cauldron in the Tuileries Gardens. (FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
The Place de la Concorde lights up with fireworks at the end of the Paralympic Games opening ceremony. (BERTRAND GUAY / AFP)
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