France Says Goodbye to a Successful Paralympics

SAINT-DENIS, France — The summer of sports is coming to a close, and this time it’s truly au revoir. The remarkable journey began on July 26, marked by a spectacular opening ceremony on the Seine River, and it culminates Sunday with the closing of the Paralympics at the rain-drenched Stade de France.

This summer’s events showcased the prowess of athletes and captured the attention of fans everywhere, setting a high bar for future host cities. Los Angeles has a tough act to follow in 2028.

As the stadium illuminated in blue, white, and red—the colors of the French flag—a trumpet player performed “La Marseillaise,” the national anthem. Paralympic flagbearers entered the stadium, carrying their countries’ flags while Vangelis’s “Chariots of Fire” played in the background.

In a fitting tribute to the spirit of celebration, renowned French electronic music composer Jean-Michel Jarre was scheduled to headline the closing ceremony, once again under the artistic direction of Thomas Jolly. The goal was to transform the venue into a vibrant open-air dance party, with over 20 DJs, including Étienne de Crécy, Martin Solveig, and Kavinsky, performing to celebrate the theme “Journey of the Wave.”

This theme symbolically represents the farewell wave from the 64,000 attendees to the 4,000-plus Paralympic athletes who competed this summer.

Despite some initial concerns about maintaining the enthusiasm of the crowd after the Olympics, the energy surged onwards into the Paralympics from August 28 to September 8. The athletes experienced robust support, dispelling doubts that the excitement would taper off.

While not every venue saw sell-out crowds, the overall attendance was impressive, with 2.4 million of the 2.8 million tickets sold. This figure stands only behind the 2.7 million tickets sold during the 2012 London Games. Remarkably, this came after only 1 million tickets had been sold by late June, pointing to a late surge of interest.

Many Parisians chose to leave the city during the events, driven away by concerns about traffic disruptions, political turmoil, social tensions, and security fears. However, those who stayed, along with fans traveling from other parts of France, provided exceptional support to their athletes throughout both the Olympics and Paralympics.

France had a stellar performance in the Olympics, securing 16 gold medals out of a total of 64, placing fifth in the overall medal count. During the Paralympics, they continued to shine, accumulating 75 medals. These results turned the Games into a triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron.

Transportation efforts during the events were largely successful, with minimal organizational hiccups reported. Security conditions also seemed stable, as police engaged positively with fans, a rare scene in France.

While the excitement surrounding the events is palpable, the duration of this feel-good factor remains uncertain. Over the weekend, protests erupted in the streets against the president’s appointment of a conservative new prime minister, indicating that not all sentiments were positive.

When introduced at the start of the closing ceremony, Macron faced some booing from the crowd, a stark reminder of the divided opinions among the public.

The essence of the phrase “plus ça change,” which roughly translates to “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” rings true as France looks ahead after this summer of unparalleled sporting achievement.