The Paralympic Games are opening on Wednesday. Around 4,400 athletes with disabilities will compete in 22 sports for 549 medals in Paris. Paris, which recently hosted the Olympics, will host the Paralympics as well. The opening ceremony will take place at the historic square, Place de la Concorde. The Paralympics will be held in iconic venues across Paris. The Olympics venues will be used for the Paralympic competitions.
Equestrian events will be held at Château de Versailles. The Grand Palais will host wheelchair fencing, and Invalides will host para archery. Various Paralympic events, including blind soccer, will be hosted beside the Eiffel Tower. The games are expected to attract around 2 million spectators.
The Paralympic flame started its journey in Stoke Mandeville and will light the cauldron at the opening ceremony. Athletes like Katarina Roxon and Patrick Anderson will represent Team Canada. The Paralympics will offer new opportunities for female athletes and those with high-support needs. The Paralympics will have 11 days of competition with medals up for grabs each day.
Athletes like Avani Lekhara and Oksana Masters will defend their titles. Para powerlifter Sherif Osman and fencer Bebe Vio are aiming for more gold medals. Brazil and France are set to face off in blind soccer. Visually impaired Italian sprinter Valentina Petrillo will be the first transgender woman to compete. Many inspiring stories like these will unfold over the next two weeks.
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