Olympic cycling’s golden couple Jason Kenny and Laura Trott, runner Mo Farah, and swimmer Adam Peaty, plus Paralympic champions Dame Sarah Storey, Kadeena Cox, Jonnie Peacock, Lee Pearson and Will Bayley are among the sporting heroes from Rio 2016.
Advertisement
Bahman Golbarnezhad’s death during the road race left the Paralympic movement “united in grief”, Philip Craven, the International Paralympic Committee president, said in a speech.
The closing ceremony of what will be remembered as the people’s Games was held at Rio’s famed Maracana Stadium. Part of that success, however, was due to many tickets being sold for as little as $3 – or given away to school children in an global fill-the-seats campaign.
The International Paralympic Committee anthem, played by musicians Daniel Santiago, Pedro Martins and Mestrinho, marked the transition from Rio to Tokyo 2020.
Referring to the political instability and deep recession plaguing Brazil, he conceded that it had been “a mission of many doubts”.
The ceremony began here on Sunday with a dance by a group of 16 wheelchair users and an epic guitar duet by Andreas Kisser of Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura and an armless guitarist, reports Efe.
Craven warned earlier Sunday that “major change” will be needed from Russian Federation to be allowed back into Paralympic competition.
Malone, who won three medals and proved hugely popular both on and off the field, grinned broadly as he carried the flag proudly around the Maracana as New Zealand celebrated a hugely successful Paralympics.
The gap between the Olympic and Paralympic performances is gradually blurring with disabled athletes breaking records after records in Rio.
It overshadowed a Paralympics that dealt with both a funding and doping crisis to be a success, saving the Games experience for the Brazilian public after the scandal-marred Olympics.
Kadeena Cox, who returned from Rio with four medals – two golds, a silver and a bronze – said she was loving the atmosphere too: “I’m feeling wonderful, and to get back and get such a warm welcome, it makes me feel like I’ve done something special, and I’m helping other people on my journey”. However, Centrowitz won in what was by Olympic standards a near-record slow race, meaning Baka’s outstanding time was of mostly symbolic significance.
Celebratory bunting has been put up in the cabin which will host the team, who won 64 gold medals in Rio.
Belarus is located at the 18th place in the medal standings, the leader being China.
Ukraine was third with 41 gold, 37 silver and 39 bronze medals.
Advertisement
Members of the audience sit in front of the Paralympic Cauldron wrapped in plastic against the rain during the closing ceremony of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
