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11th Paralympic Games Opened in Sydney
11th Paralympic Games Opened in Sydney
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A colourful party broke the grey, gloomy skies in Sydney to open the Paralympic Games and welcome the athletes to Australia.
It was a party to honour the paralympians, and when MC, Australian actor Bryan Brown, ordered 'open the gates and let the champions enter' the crowd erupted as the athletes, in their National costumes, danced and partied their way around the track They were accompanied by a melody of upbeat music from five bands representing the five continents of Africa, America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
Wheels on wheelchairs were covered in National flags, artificial legs were painted in national colours and faces were painted as many athletes broke with the usual protocol by running towards the crowd and leading the audience in Mexican waves.
As expected, the crowd cheered loudest and longest for the host country, Australia. All the athletes seemed to forget for a moment about their competitors, training and competing and simply enjoyed the honour of being Paralympic representatives.
Athletes held hands and danced and showed magnificent dexterity as they performed wheelies in their wheelchairs. The German team showed great sportsmanship joining the German and Australian flags together as one.
With a foray of music from Australian bands the athletes were only encouraged to party harder and it seemed the organisers would have a tough job moving onto the official ceremony.
Athletes from 121 countries and regions came to attend this games. China's national Paralympic team sent a squad of 121 persons, 87 of which are athletes.
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