Four-time Paralympic Gold Medalist Ignites Paris 2024 Cauldron
Four-time Paralympic gold medalist Fabien Lamirault, the most successful French athlete of the Paris 2024 delegation, received the distinguished honor of being one of the last torchbearers during the opening ceremony, igniting the Paris 2024 cauldron and setting it ablaze against the night sky.
Global Prominence of the Sport
Eleven players from around the world were selected to carry their nations’ flags, underscoring the growing global prominence of the sport. Spain’s veteran Alvaro Valera, competing in his seventh Paralympic Games, carried the flag for his country, having secured the sole Paralympic gold medal in table tennis for Spain at the Sydney 2000 Games.
Making their Paralympic debut as flag bearers were Leli Marlina of Indonesia, Camelia Ciripan of Romania, and Ghaliah Alanazi of Saudi Arabia, all proudly representing their respective nations. Alena Kanova, the Sydney 2000 gold medalist, carried the Slovakian flag as she embarked on her seventh Paralympic journey.
Youngest Flag Bearer
The youngest para table tennis flag bearer of the night was 17-year-old Chen Po Yen from Chinese Taipei, who has quickly risen to the No. 6 spot in Men’s class 11 since his introduction to the sport in 2022. Other flag bearers included Coty Garrone of Argentina, Ting Ting Wong of Hong Kong, China, Andela Muzinic Vincetic of Croatia, Colin Judge of Ireland, and Luka Bakic of Montenegro.
The selection of these exceptional athletes as flag bearers during the opening ceremony underscores the growing global recognition and significance of para table tennis on the international stage.
🔗 Source
