The opening ceremony also carried a serious message.
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Paralympians competing in Rio will inspire and excite the world as the Games get under way, those who gathered to watch the spectacular opening ceremony have been told.
Artists recreate a beach scene, an image quintessential to Rio, during the opening ceremony.
Rio 2016 organising committee president Carlos Nuzman was booed during his speech, as was Brazil’s new president, Michel Temer, a short while later.
Thousands of protesters descended on nearly a dozen Brazilian cities to call for change, with chants such as “Temer Out” and “Usurper” among the calls.
Blind, missing limbs or partially paralysed, the world’s toughest and most competitive disabled were parading ahead of 11 days of contests.
The Paralympics has been embroiled in the worst build-up in its 56-year history, but Brazil belatedly got into the Paralympic mood.
But all those worries were set aside for the sporting extravaganza.
These Games are a testament to inclusion and represent more than a century of work to provide sports opportunities for everyone.
Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, implored Brazilians to take inspiration from the spirit of the paralympians.
“That’s where transformation happens”, he said.
The cauldron was lit by Brazilian swimmer and wheelchair user Clodoaldo Silva.
In 2012 Mike was given the honour of carrying the Olympic Torch through Toryglen and went on to help the United Kingdom side finish fifth.
Craven told reporters it is the first time since Salt Lake City in 2002 that an International Olympic Committee president had missed a Paralympic opening but stopped short of giving any reasons why.
The IOC chief said he had to miss the ceremony to attend a state mourning ceremony in Germany for Walter Scheel, the former West Germany president.
Malaysia’s chef de mission Dr Ang Kean Koo and Jalur Gemilang flag-bearer Abdul Latif Romly led the country’s 21 participating athletes, with a mission to to win the first gold medal for the country at the Games.
Carla Qualtrough says athletes will be able to compete to the best of their abilities in Rio de Janeiro despite the scaling back of the Paralympics in the city.
There were also reports in Globo and other Brazilian media outlets that Bach is wanted for questioning by local police investigating an illegal ticket selling ring allegedly involving senior Olympic official Patrick Hickey. Miller said that during the 2012 Games, people on the streets of London knew who she was and what sport she played.
The ban was mainly influenced by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) report on the alleged widespread use of performance enhancing substances by Russian athletes.
Separately UK Athletics will review classifications after the Games, according to BBC News, following concerns that athletes were being mismatched to create an unfair advantage.
Caught in political and economic crises, Rio 2016 organisers have skimped as far as they can on food, transport and accommodation.
The run-up to the games may have been slow but things have turned around in the last few days.
CNN brings you the highlights of an action-packed opening day.
London’s ticket sales surpassed the 2008 Beijing Games by nearly 1 million.
“We’ll soon be over the 1.7 million mark”, he said. “By mid August, only 12 per cent of tickets had been sold”.
She has won eight medals – four in cycling, four in skiing – including gold four years ago in the road time trial and slalom at the 2006 Torino Paralympics.
Participants react under fireworks.
China will have its biggest ever team of 308 athletes in Rio looking to beat their 95 gold medals from London when they topped the table for the third straight Paralympics.
It has swimmer Xu Qing competing in his fourth and possibly last Games, seeking to add to his seven gold medals.
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The boos soon turned to cheers, however, as American Paralympic snowboarder Amy Purdy, who had both her legs amputated below the knee at the age of nineteen, performed an intricate dance that included ballet and samba, with her partner, a robotic arm.
