A solemn celebration, athletes as a public, political figures in their 31s and flags that flutter and pass from hand to hand: the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2021 Paralympic Games took place this Sunday in the Japanese capital, and notably gave rise to the traditional handover between the city that has just hosted these games and the future host, in this case Paris.
Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, thus received in Tokyo the Paralympic flag, adorned with three red, blue and green “Agitos”, from the hands of her Tokyo counterpart Yuriko Koike. A very short ceremony during which the flag will first have been unhooked from its pole in Tokyo, waved briefly by the mayor of Tokyo, then by the president of the International Paralympic Committee Andrew Parsons, and finally by Anne Hidalgo, who will take it to Paris for what will be the first Paralympic Games in the history of the French capital. There followed a highly anticipated performance of the Marseillaise en chansigne by Betty Moutoumalaya, filmed from the famous Daru staircase in the Louvre in Paris, and a dance number conducted by choreographer Sadeck Berrabah.
🕺 126 dancers for a sublime chorea inspired by Sadeck Berrabah!
🔥 Live from the Trocadéro, Paris is ready to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games #Paralympics
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) September 5, 2021
The ceremony then teleported to Paris, where many people were gathered for an event at Place du Trocadéro in the presence of French Paralympic champions and hosted in particular by DJ Pone, founding member of the Fonky Family and suffering from Charcot disease.
Before Tony Estanguet, the president of the Organizing Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, arrives on the podium by launching a "Rendez-vous in Paris 2024".
"In 2024, athletes and sports lovers from all over the world will be united again," continued Seiko Hashimoto, president of the Tokyo 2020 Games Organizing Committee, in her closing speech. We send our best wishes to the city of Paris the most sincere successes for the Paris 2024 games ”.
🔥🇯🇵 It's officially over
The Olympic flame slowly closed at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium, only to go out.
Next meeting: @ Paris2024!
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- francetvsport (@francetvsport) September 5, 2021
“Tonight, do not see it as a closing ceremony, but as the opening of a bright and inclusive future,” continued Andrew Parsons, president of the IPC. I call on Paralympic athletes from all over the world to meet in Paris in three years time, where once again you will thrill the world with your sporting performances ”.
