2024 Paris Paralympic Games Open; Record Japanese Delegation Attend Opening Ceremony

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:36 JST, August 29, 2024

PARIS — The 2024 Paris Paralympic Games opened Wednesday. While Paris has hosted the Olympic Games three times, this is the first Paralympics to be held in the city.

Para athletes, who have trained their bodies to their limits, attended the opening ceremony with relaxed expressions on their faces.

Japan sent 175 athletes, its largest overseas Summer Paralympics team ever, looking to bring home more medals than the record 52 it won at the 2004 Games in Athens.

At the ceremony that started at 8 p.m., swimmer An Nishida, 27, and long jumper Daiki Ishiyama, 24, led the Japanese delegation as flag bearers. The French delegation rounded off the parade, which also included the Refugee Paralympic Team.

The Japanese delegation was the 76th to enter the Place de la Concorde. Wearing white jackets with a Rising Sun motif on the left breast pocket, the Japanese athletes waved to the stand in response to the spectators’ cheers.

Tokito Oda, a 18-year-old wheelchair tennis star and first-time Paralympian, is tipped as a favorite to win gold. He sometimes struck a triumphant pose in front of the gathered crowds.

Oda won his second consecutive French Open in June at Roland Garros where the Paralympics tennis matches will be played. He also aims to win gold in the wheelchair doubles with his partner Takuya Miki, 35.

“We will make more of an impact than the Olympics,” he said with strong determination.

A total of 549 events across 22 sports will be held during the Paralympics, which runs through Sept. 8.