Sydney is getting ready to stage its second-largest sport event, the Paralympics, which takes place October 18-29.
More than 4,000 athletes from 182 nations will descend on Sydney to participate in 18 sports. It’s a far cry from the first Paralympics which took place in Rome in 1960, when 400 athletes attended from 23 countries.
Following a traditional aboriginal lighting ceremony in Canberra on October 5, the Paralympic flame is now making its way through every state capital in Australia before it starts a 465 mile relay around Sydney, leading up to the Paralympics.
The Sydney Paralympic Organizing Committee (SPOC) is now readying the village and venues for the Paralympic Games. The national Paralympic teams are expected to move into the athletes’ village when it reopens on Oct. 11.
The Olympic rings are being replaced with the Paralympic logo.
In the SuperDome the number of media seats are being reduced to reflect a lesser media presence and to accommodate additional spectators.
Extra ramps and additional bathroom equipment are being added to various venues, to account for the unusually large number of physically challenged athletes and spectators at the Games.
The athletes’ village was already designed to accommodate both Olympians and Paralympians. The houses have ramps and accessible bathrooms.
And SPOC is scaling the village down for the smaller Paralympics contingents and making some last-minute modifications that include building a few extra ramps and adding services such as orthotics-and-wheelchair-repair stations.