EDITORIAL | The Paris Paralympics 'Here to Compete, Win, and Smash World Records'

Against the impressive backdrop of the Arc de Triomphe, Paralympians from around the world paraded down the Champs Élysées, the world's most famous boulevard on August 28. The days were still long and the summer sun shone as the Paralympics opening parade began. Some participants were in wheelchairs. Meanwhile, others used white canes. However, all their faces beamed as they progressed along the road.

In the past, no matter what their homeland, remarkable men and women like these were too often victims in a sad history of individuals with physical impairments being shunted off to the shadows. While that negative legacy has not completely disappeared, the Paralympics is aimed at eradicating such prejudices from society.

They Came to Compete

Paris held the opening ceremony in the heart of the city at the Place de la Concorde. The same place was also the scene of many important events during the French Revolution. Meanwhile, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons set the tone at the ceremony, declaring: "Paralympic athletes are not here to participate. They're not playing games. They are here to compete, win, and smash world records." 

Notably, these words directly contradicted the famous quote popularized by Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the Olympic movement. De Coubertin said that "the meaning of the Olympics lies in participating."

Parsons further added that the Para athletes were there to triumph over prejudice and "show the world that Paralympic athletes should be acknowledged, celebrated, and rewarded, but above all respected."

We heartily agree with these sentiments. 

Inspired by the Stoke Mandeville Games

For the Paralympics, the Olympic flame in the Olympic cauldron was attached to a hot air balloon in the Tuileries Gardens. Initially, on August 24, it was lit in the village of Stoke Mandeville, just outside London. Stoke Mandeville is widely considered the birthplace of the Paralympics.

The roots of the Paralympics can be traced back to 1948. That is when the Stoke Mandeville Games were held at a hospital in the United Kingdom for patients with paralysis due to spinal cord injuries. The first official Paralympics took place in conjunction with the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Paris is the birthplace of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and has just hosted its third Olympic Games in 100 years. But this was the first time that it had hosted the Paralympic Games. 

Imperial Support from Japan

It was in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, with the second Paralympic Games that the name "Paralympics" was first used. The name neatly combines "paraplegia" (paralysis caused by spinal cord injury, etc.) and "Olympics." 

Nowadays, however, the name has largely come to mean "parallel Games" or "another Olympics." 

The Tokyo Games began on November 8, 1964, amid the afterglow of the closing of the Tokyo Summer Olympics. Crown Prince Akihito (now Emperor Emeritus) served as honorary president. Those Games lasted for only seven days, but on each day Crown Prince Akihito and Princess Michiko (now Empress Emerita) were in attendance. 

Immediately after the closing ceremony, the Crown Prince invited the tournament officials to Togu Palace to express his appreciation. In his speech on that occasion, the Crown Prince expressed his hope that the Paralympics would develop deeper connections with society. He envisioned having sports involving people with disabilities develop into true sports that would attract Para athletes and spectators. In other words, just like the support for athletes in the Olympic Games. 

Those words spoken 60 years ago embodied the hopes and ideals Paralympians have cherished ever since. Moreover, they are finally being realized. We truly hope that the Paris Paralympics will display the full fruition of these hopes and ideals. 

Enjoying Olympics with Spectators Again 

The 2012 London Paralympics are often hailed as the most successful Paralympic Games in history. Every day, sell-out crowds filled each venue, with thunderous cheering accompanying the heated competition. Thereafter, the organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics set out to surpass London in terms of enthusiasm. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, no spectators were allowed to attend when the Games took place in September 2021. 

However, those involved with the Tokyo Paralympics continued searching for a way to hold the Games with spectators to the very end. Nonetheless, they were defeated by the no-spectator policy. Now, the Paris Paralympics are the first Summer Paralympics to be held since the disappointment of the spectator-free Tokyo Games.

Just weeks ago, the Paris Summer Olympics ended. Back in Japan, many athletes spoke of the excitement of hearing the roaring cheers that met them in Paris.

For example, judoka Hifumi Abe and marathon runner Mao Ichiyama both competed in the Tokyo Olympics with no spectators. Returning from Paris, they exclaimed, "This is the real Olympics."

Hopefully, all Para athletes will enjoy the Paris Games and be able to say, "This is the real Paralympics." May they all perform at their best in the competitions held amidst loud cheers and impressed spectators.

'Revolutionizing' the Way People See the World

Tony Estanguet is the president of the Paris organizing committee for the Paralympics. At the opening ceremony in Paris, he promised that the competitors would "revolutionize" the way people see the world." He declared, "What we see at the Games are top athletes. And the morning after the closing ceremony, we will wake up as different people."

As Mami Tani (maiden name Sato), a Paralympian who served as an ambassador for Tokyo's Olympic and Paralympic bid team, put it, "The Olympics are a big deal. But I believe the legacy of the Paralympics can be even greater."

We will thoroughly enjoy seeing what legacy the Paris Paralympics leave for society. 

RELATED:

• [JAPAN SPORTS NOTEBOOK] Naoya Inoue Returns to the Ring with Laser-Sharp Focus
• Japan’s 51-Medal Haul Represents a Vibrant Collage of Great Feats and Inspiring Individuals
• [ODDS and EVENS] New book ‘Wheels of Courage’ Explores History of Wheelchair Basketball and Paralympics
  
  

(Read the editorial in Japanese.)

Author: Editorial Board, The Sankei Shimbun