After the show, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, president of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games delivered an official speech, saying the Paralympic Games have been spectacular.
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Sir Philip Craven, International Paralympic Committee president, described the Games as “uniquely Brazilian and wondrous” but admitted that Golbarnezhad’s death had cast a shadow over the event. It was one of five medals won by ParalympicsGB’s sprint canoeists with three golds and two bronzes over the six finals.
It was also a fantastic Games for Great Britain who finished with 147 medals, 61 of them gold.
The celebration turned momentarily somber during a tribute to Iranian cyclist Bahman Golbarnezhad who suffered a fatal bike crash while competing on Saturday, September 17th, photo courtesy of the International Paralympic Committee.
Additionally, ParalympicsGB secured medals in 15 sports, a feat which equals the record previously held by the U.S. from Athens 2004 as the greatest ever in one Games.
It could hardly have been hoped after the outstanding success of the 2012 Paralympics in London that the British team could exceed their astonishing medals tally of that golden summer.
IPC eventually chose to bar the whole Russian Paralympic team from taking part in the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
Britain won 107 golds at the New York/Stoke Mandeville Games of 1984 and 65 at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics.
There was a sombre atmosphere in the air at the closing ceremony but also one of unity – and more rain, as swimmer Nicole Turner, wo made an incredible five finals at the Games, proudly carried out the Irish flag.
China achieved its aim set before the Rio Paralympics to finish at the top of the medal standings, just as they did at the previous three Games in Athens, Beijing and London.
“To be here and to have won medals and to do it in the fashion that I’ve done.it is just fantastic”.
The Northern Irishwoman began her gold rush by retaining her 100m backstroke title and after winning the 200m freestyle, silver in the 100m breaststroke was followed by Saturday night’s 200m individual medley triumph.
In his speech Craven praised Cariocas, as Rio’s residents are known, for successfully staging the Paralympics, which enjoyed big crowds despite earlier concerns about slow ticket sales. “I’m so happy”, said the 50-year-old Koichi Ogino, who was named the Japan head coach despite not having any previous coaching experience. “And we are going to present this gold medal to the soul of Bahman Golbarnezhad”.
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Jonathan, who is the Director of Youths in the ministry, said the athletes have put the country on top of other African countries on the medals table.
