Paris 2024 Paralympic Games finish with sound and light spectacular
Sports
Tony Estanguet, head of the Games' organising committee, paid tribute to the athletes.
PARIS (AFP) - The 17th Paralympic Games ended on Sunday night with a spectacular son-et-lumière flourish in front of thousands of Paralympians as well as 65,000 spectators at a rain-soaked Stade de France in Saint Denis.
Tony Estanguet, head of the Games' organising committee, paid tribute to the athletes from nearly 200 countries who had competed in 22 sports over 11 days.
"This summer France had a rendez-vous with history," said Estanguet, a former Olympic canoeing champion.
"And it was there,” he added.
“We rediscovered our heritage, our creativity, our ability to achieve great things. We rediscovered our joie de vivre, our impertinence.
“These Games have been a meeting of our country with itself. The France that smiles, that loves itself, that we are proud of, the France of all records: medal records, spectator records, audience records, atmosphere records."
Andrew Parsons, head of the International Paralympic Comittee (IPC), which oversees the Paralympic Games added: "For a country famous for its fashion and gastronomy, France is now famous for its supporters.
"People of France, your passion and support have been incredible and magnificent. With spirit and pride, you have made the last 12 days joyous and unforgettable.
"You celebrated the start of the inclusion revolution with a Paralympic party in Paris."
Following a breakdancing routine involving eight dancers – four of them with disabilities – the Paralympic flag was lowered and handed over by the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo to Karen Bass, her counterpart in Los Angeles.
That prompted a video section from a sun-kissed Venice Beach – a stark meteorological contrast to the conditions to the north of Paris.
In a change of pace back at the Jardin des Tuileries, the Malian musicians Amadou and Mariam performed a song to calm the mood before the action turned again to the Stade de France.
At the main athletics stadium, the closing ceremony's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, deployed Frédéric Villeroux, skipper of France's gold-medal winning blind football team, and Ugo Didier, who won the French delegation's first gold medal, to carry the Paralympic flame into the stadium.
They handed it to Charles Noakes, gold medallist in para badminton and Gloria Agblemagnon, a silver medallist in para athletics.
Mathieu Bosredon, the most successful Frenchman at the Paralympic Games with three titles in para cycling and Aurélie Aubert, France's first Paralympic champion in Boccia, shared the honour of extinguishing the flame.
That formality cleared the path for the the electro session. The godfather of the genre Jean-Michel Jarre led the way.
The 76-year-old was followed by the cream of French electro artists such as Breakbot, Natalie Duchene, Etienne de Crecy, Alain Braxe, Cassius and Kavinsky.
DANCE
For the last tracks, the French delegation gathered on stage around the sound decks of DJ Martin Solveig and danced. And danced. And danced.
"It was the end of a summer of Olympic and Paralympic Games," Jarre told France 2. "It's simply where you had to be. It was the last postcard."
Jolly, who directed the Paralympics opening ceremony as well as the shows to start and conclude the Olympic Games, said: "We found unity. The stadium danced. We created a big us and that's what the artistic team wanted to do.
"I'm very happy," added the 42-year-old. "It has been two years of work. It has been the biggest project of my life. The organising committee placed a lot of trust in me and gave me carte blanche.
"The athletes were at the heart of things and we saw them. I just hope everyone got a chance to get a little something out of all the pieces in the ceremonies."
Of the inclement weather, Jolly added wryly: "The rain clearly wanted to be part of the action.
"It was there at the Olympics opening ceremony and it was here at the Paralympics closing ceremony. Well, at least it's consistent."
