Paris put on a spectacle to mark their first time hosting the Summer Paralympics, running from 28 August to 8 September, with the over 4,000 athletes from a record 168 delegations parading in the iconic Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees. Greece and Australia teams are both striving for great results.
The Opening Ceremony received a great reception by many, with it breaking new ground as the first time in Paralympics history it has been held outside a stadium.
The Greek team, consisting of 37 athletes across 10 sports, were led by flag bearers Manolis Stefanoudakis and Theodora Paschalidou, both of whom are looking to shine at the Games in their respective sports of javelin and judo.
Stefanoudakis is notably competing in his fourth Games and is aiming to add to his medal tally, having previously won bronze in 2012 and gold in 2016.
The Australian team consists of 159 Paralympians in 17 sports and were led by flag bearers wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario and swimmer Brenden Hall at the Opening Ceremony.
Another highlight was seeing the Cyprus delegation of three athletes also featured.
The tournament is set for heavy Greek participation on its opening day as eight athletes compete in three different sports.
The youngest athlete of the Greek delegation, 12-year-old swimmer Areti Arabela Spyridou will be the first Hellene to compete in the Paris Games as she features in the 2nd qualifying series (7th race) of the 100m backstroke S2 Class.
Two heats will be held and the eight fastest gymnasts will qualify for the final scheduled later on Day One.
14-year-old Maria Fanouria Tziveleki will also compete in the waters of La Defense Arena, swimming in the qualifiers of the 200m freestyle S5 Class.
Three qualifying heats will be held and the eight fastest will advance to the final, with Tziveleki competing in the second series and the 2nd route.
The first Greek participations in a final of the 17th Paralympic Games will be in the men’s 100m backstroke of category S1 with Dimitris Karypidis and Nikolaos Kontou in route 7 both battling to earn the country its first medal.
Boccia is the second sport in which Greeks will feature with Chrysi Morfi Metzou participating in the Women’s individual BC4 category.
She will take on Croatia’s Anamaria Arambasic and Spain’s Sara Aller Mayo in her Pool A matches.
Former gold medallist Grigorios Polychronidis will compete in the Men’s individual BC3 category as he takes on Frenchman Jules Menard in their Pool D clash.
Anna Ntenta closes out the trio of Greek participants in bocce on Day One, with the Paralympian competing in the Women’s individual BC3 category and facing Argentina’s Stefania Ferrando in their Pool D match.
Dorothea Poimenidou is the other Greek athlete set to feature as she competes in archery.
