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Rio opens Para Games for ‘superhumans’
RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro opened the Paralympic Games on Wednesday with samba, parading wheelchairs, giant balloons – and loud booing of Brazil’s president
RIO DE JANEIRO: Rio de Janeiro opened the Paralympic Games on Wednesday with samba, parading wheelchairs, giant balloons – and loud booing of Brazil’s president – at a sold-out Maracana stadium.
The extraordinary sight of US Paralympian Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham jumping in his wheelchair from a 55-foot (17-meter) ramp got the crowd on its feet. Then the joyous rhythms of samba singers and a carnivalesque reproduction of a Rio beach scene got them dancing.
A sultry dance between an industrial robot and Amy Purdy, a US Paralympian and model wearing running blades, provided another eye-catching moment.
Brazil’s tensions also flared with thousands in the crowd chanting “Out with Temer!” as newly sworn-in President Michel Temer appeared at the ceremony just days after taking over from his bitter rival, the impeached Dilma Rousseff.
Temer’s hurried declaration of “I declare the Games open” was met with a roar of boos, and booing also forced Brazilian Olympics boss Carlos Nuzman to pause his speech after mentioning “thanks to the federal, state and municipal governments.”
TICKETS SURGE
Organisers have reported a dramatic turnaround in the last few days. “Two weeks ago we were at 200,000” tickets sold, International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven said. Now sales have reached 1.6 million and are “growing every day.”
“We’ll soon be over the 1.7 million mark,” he said. “Our aim is to sell around 2.4 million.”
