PARALYMPICS/ Paris crystal palace vs west hamGames open with record number of 168 delegations

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN

August 29, 2024 at 18:33 JST

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The Japanese delegation marches through Place de la Concorde during the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Paralympics on Aug. 28. (Shinnosuke Ito)

PARIS--The 17th Summer Paralympics officially opened on Aug. 28 with a vibrant ceremony held at the iconic Place de la Concorde here.

Athletes from around the world marched down the famed Champs-Elysees to the cheers and applause of thousands of spectators, marking the beginning of a 12-day celebration of parasports.

A record 167 nations and regions, along with the Refugee Paralympic Team, are participating in this year's Games. Approximately 4,400 athletes will compete across 22 sports and 549 medal events.

Japan has sent a team of 175 athletes to Paris, the largest delegation to a Paralympics, aside from the previous Tokyo Games in 2021.

The nation has set an ambitious goal of surpassing its previous medal record count of 52, which was achieved at the 2004 Athens Games.