The Paralympics closed on Sunday with a giant music-fueled party as chief Paris 2024 organizer Tony Estanguet said the Games and the Olympics had created a "historic summer".
The Paralympic flame and cauldron were extinguished before a concert featuring the best of French electronic music capped off proceedings at a packed Stade de France. More than 4,400 athletes from 168 Paralympic delegations partied despite persistent rain.
Estanguet said the closing ceremony marked the end of six weeks of Olympic and Paralympic fervor in the City of Light. The former Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist said that period would remain "etched in people's memories".
"This summer, France had a date with history, and the country showed up," he said. "This summer when people talked to each other, this summer when France was happy," said Estanguet, referring to how France had been left deeply divided by snap elections just weeks before the Olympics opened.
The next Paralympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028. In the official handover, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo passed the Paralympic flag to International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons, who gave it to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass.
Paris 2024 organizer Tony Estanguet gives speech during the closing ceremonyReuters
Broadway star Ali Stoker then sang the American national anthem before a film was shown of a band performing on a Californian beach as skateboarders and wheelchair athletes performed tricks.
Despite initial fears about ticket sales, the Paralympics took place in mainly full stadiums, benefiting from the feelgood factor from the highly successful Olympics which ended on August 11. Parsons said the Paris Paralympics had shown that "change starts with sport".
The level of the sport in Paris, the organization and the gender parity of the competitors had set a "benchmark" for future Paralympics, he said. The hour-long electronic concert was kicked off by composer Victor Le Masne as LED bracelets worn by the crowd and athletes on the field lit up the stadium.
The 24-artist show with highlights including French synthesizer legend Jean-Michel Jarre, Cassius, Busy P and Kungs was rounded off in style by DJ Martin Solveig, who finished his set with 2010 hit "Hello" and then Daft Punk's "One More Time".
China finished top of the medals table in Paris, as they have at every Paralympics since Athens in 2004. They had 94 golds, followed by Britain with 49 and the USA with 36.
Ukraine's athletes overcame the formidable obstacles posed by their country's war with Russia to finish in seventh place with 22 golds and host nation France were eighth with 19 golds.
In amputee track athletes Hunter Woodhall and 19-year-old Ezra Frech, the USA have found charismatic faces who are sure to play a prominent role in the buildup to LA2028. On the final day of competition, Switzerland won both Paralympic wheelchair marathons while the Netherlands secured back-to-back women's wheelchair basketball titles, denying the USA.
Early in the morning, Catherine Debrunner propelled her racing wheelchair through the streets of Paris to win the women's marathon. The 29-year-old Swiss athlete added to the four gold medals she has already won on the track at these Games, ranging from the 400 meters to the 5,000m.
Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland celebrates after winning goldReuters
Marcel Hug, 38, made up for a disappointing Games on the track by dominating the men's wheelchair marathon, finishing three minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Hua Jin of China. The Netherlands scored a convincing 63-49 win against the USA to retain the women's wheelchair basketball title they won at Tokyo 2020.
The Americans must wait until 2028 on home soil before trying to win a title that their men secured for a third Games in a row on Saturday. The USA women's last title came at the 2016 Rio Games.
Arshad Nadeem emerged as a global sensation by winning Pakistan’s first gold in the men’s javelin throw at the Paris Olympics on Thursday night, setting a new record at the world’s most prestigious sporting event.
The 27-year-old carried a monstrous 92.97 meters throw - longest ever in Olympics’ history - in his second attempt of the 12-man javelin throw final at Stade de France to win the first ever gold in athletics for Pakistan.
Arshad broke the Olympic record of Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway who had managed a throw of 90.57 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“It’s an amazing feeling … to win Olympic gold,” Arshad said after the event. “I was aiming to go deep but still I am happy with my effort which (has) gifted me the gold at this stage.”
The athlete added that it was an “Independence Day gift for the country”. This was Pakistan’s first ever gold in the Olympics in individual sports and fourth overall. The last time Pakistan bagged a gold was 40 years ago in men’s hockey at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Arshad’s victory has put an end to Pakistan’s 32-year long drought of Olympic medals that last won a bronze in men’s hockey at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
The Pakistani javelin star beat India’s Neeraj Chopra who failed to defend his title, finishing with silver with his season’s best throw of 89.45 meters. This was the first time since 2016 that Arshad defeated his rival and good friend Chopra.
India's Neeraj Chopra during men's javelin throw final at Paris Olympics on Thursday Reuters
On the other hand, two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada won bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters.
Arshad was seen in sublime form by setting such a huge target at the start which proved too tough for his opponents at a gripping finale. Even his last throw went for 91.79 meters, showing he broke the previous Olympic record not once but twice.
Arshad’s younger brother Mohammad Aleem was happy with his sibling’s achievement.
“I was very close to him and he was determined to do this and he did it,” he told Nukta from Mian Channu. “We, the entire family, are too happy.”
Talking to Nukta, Arshad’s former coach Fayyaz Bukhari said the athlete will continue to shine. “It was a huge throw and an Olympic record,” he said. “He (Arshad) will now work harder and will do well again in the Los Angeles Olympics.”
Canada-based Pakistan’s star karate player and former Asian champion Saadi Abbas also paid tribute to Arshad. “Thanks Arshad for the glory. I also congratulate those who supported him,” the 35-year-old said in a video message recorded exclusively for Nukta.
Multiple financial rewards were announced for Arshad after his Olympic victory. As per state’s set policy, Arshad will get PKR 10 million. Additionally, Sindh’s government announced PKR 50 million for the star athlete, while the Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori announced PKR 2 million separately.
