The 12th Paralympic Games came to a close Tuesday as 3,837 athletes were applauded for their achievements over 11 days of competition.
Flags flew at half-mast and the Closing Ceremony was trimmed down to only protocol segments as Greece mourned the death of seven schoolchildren who lost their lives in a car accident a day earlier, while en route to the Paralympic Games. A minute’s silence was observed.
Because of the paired down version of the Closing Ceremony Athenians were offered a refund, but most turned up.
White-clad flag bearers entered the Athens Olympic Stadium carrying the banners of the 136 competing nations. They were followed by the Paralympians who mingled together on the field, united as one, in the true spirit of the Paralympic Games.
Phil Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), said in his closing speech, “to all Athenians and people of Greece, your passion, your friendliness and hospitality, will travel on, way behind tonight. Continue to carry that sparkle in your eyes and keep the flame burning in your hearts” he said, before declaring the Games closed.
Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, President of the Athens Organising Committee, addressed the athletes by letter. She wrote, “you, the athletes, have captured our hearts and our cheers. For eleven days you thrilled us with your efforts and showed us again and again the extraordinary potential we all have as human beings, to overcome the barriers and boundaries of human achievement”.
Then Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis returned the Paralympic Flag to Phil Craven, who in turn handed it over to the Vice-Mayor of Beijing, Liu Jingmin.
Dancers with a hearing, visual or mental disability from China performed on a golden scene bearing the new IPC logo, promoting the “special art” and transforming their impairment into ability, to set the stage for the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
The Closing Ceremony ended with the lowering of the IPC flag and the extinguishing of the Paralympic Flame.
The new Paralympic logo consists of three elements in red, blue and green – the three colours that are most widely represented in national flags around the world. It is a symbol that is in motion, with three Agitos (from the Latin word “agito” meaning “I move”) encircling a centre point emphasizing the role that the IPC has of bringing athletes from all corners of the world together and enabling them to compete.
It also emphasizes the fact that Paralympic athletes are constantly inspiring and exciting the world with their performances – always moving forward and never giving up – as embodied in the new vision of the IPC “To Enable Paralympic Athletes to Achieve Sporting Excellence and to Inspire and Excite the World”.
The new Paralympic motto “Spirit in Motion”, expresses the inspiration character of the Paralympic Movement as well as the elite performance of Paralympic athletes. It also stands for the strong will of every Paralympian.
