With the Olympics behind it, Paris is getting ready for the next big sporting event on the calendar this summer: the Paralympics.
Organizers are taking advantage of the post-Olympics lull in the French capital to get ready for events ranging from wheelchair rugby to para athletics during the Aug. 28-Sept. 8 games.
The Place de la Concorde, the historic square in the heart of Paris, has been bustling with construction activity since the Olympics closed on Aug. 11.
The site, which hosted skateboarding, breaking and 3x3 basketball during the Olympics, will host the opening ceremony for the Paralympics next Wednesday.
Organizers are promising a groundbreaking “spectacle,” as thousands of athletes and tens of thousands of spectators gather for the event, which marks the first time the opening ceremony will take place outside a stadium.
Most other Olympic venues will remain in place.
The Château de Versailles will host para equestrian events, the Grand Palais will welcome wheelchair fencing, and the venue beneath the Eiffel Tower, which hosted beach volleyball during the Olympics, will now host blind football, an adaption of soccer for visually impaired players.
For the organizers, the goal for the Paralympics is clear: to keep up the enthusiasm that the Olympics brought to Paris.
“We want to use the same exact recipe,” said Tony Estanguet, head of the Paris 2024 organizing committee. “The Olympics were the first leg of the match, and now comes the second leg with the Paralympics. It will be equally as spectacular.”
Both Paris 2024 and the International Paralympic Committee have launched a campaign titled “Game is not over,” with ads throughout the French capital encouraging locals to come and watch the Paralympic events.
“French fans who missed the chance to see the Olympics live now have a second shot,” said IPC President Andrew Parsons. “Paris will be alive, tickets will be affordable. It’s the perfect show for families.”
In the period between the two sports events, however, Paris has slowed down considerably. August is normally the month when many Parisians go on vacation, and leave the city for coastal towns or the countryside. As a result, the streets are notably quieter, and many businesses, including restaurants, are closed until September. Some Parisians who have remained in the city are taking advantage of the relative calm to catch their breath after the Olympics.
“I think we all needed a break after cheering so much,” said Alexia Latour, a 27-year-old accountant meeting friends at the Parc Monceau, a park in the upscale 17th arrondissement of Paris. It hosted one of the liveliest fan zones during the Olympics. Now, the buzz has faded, and the fan zone has become a peaceful space for family activities. Instead of live sports, the large screens at the moment show family-friendly movies and concerts.
“We went from 2,500 visitors to fewer than 100 a day, mostly locals,” said Alex Lemaistre, who oversees activities at the fan zone. “Our goal is to keep the Olympic spirit going, but it’s pretty difficult. Now we don’t have French athletes like Léon Marchand to cheer us up.”
Yann Nguyen, 51, who came to the fan zone for an afternoon musical performance, said he wasn’t sure Paris would manage to keep the Olympic excitement levels going into the Paralympics.
“I find it a bit odd that they didn’t start the Paralympics right after the Olympics closing ceremony,” Nguyen said. “September is the start of the new school year here. I’m not sure how they will keep the festive atmosphere going.”
Despite the quieter streets, security remains a visible and constant presence. Armed police officers patrol key areas, a reminder of the heightened security measures in place during the Olympics. French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin earlier this week said some 25,000 police officers will be deployed during the Paralympics.
Police forces also will be deployed during the Paralympic torch relay - the flame is set to arrive Sunday in France from Stoke Mandeville, a the English village that is widely considered the birthplace of the Paralympic Games.
Celta Vigo beats Valencia 3-1 for second straight win to start La Liga season
Madrid, (AP) Celta Vigo marked the 101st anniversary of the club’s founding with a 3-1 win over Valencia on Friday for a second straight league win to start the season.
It marked the first time since 2015 the Galician club has won its first two matches of the season and handed Valencia a second straight loss.
Celta’s captain and talismanic striker Iago Aspas was again at the heart of events. He scored for the second game in a row and then missed a penalty shortly before halftime.
Diego Lopez had put Valencia ahead after 14 minutes when he converted from close range after a goalmouth scramble, but Celta equalized midway through the first half when Oscar Mingueza volleyed home to complete a neat team move.
Aspas’ goal came five minutes later when the 37-year-old forward took a weighted throughball from Mingueza and finished perfectly into the bottom corner.
Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili then saved Aspas’ spot kick in first-half injury time but Fran Beltrán added the third goal on the hour mark with a classy strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Valencia’s run of nine games without a win - dating back to last season - is its worst under one coach since Gary Neville led the club in 2016 and it faces a difficult third match next week at Athletic Bilbao’s San Mamés arena.
“The team is hurting,” said Valencia midfielder Pepelu. “We don’t want to look at the fixture list. It’s up to us to go to the San Mamés and compete.”
Villarreal beats SevillaAyoze Pérez slotted home a volley in the fifth minute of injury time to give Villarreal a 2-1 away win over Sevilla.
The visitors had taken the lead with its first attack of the match after just one minute as Arnaut Danjuma - who also scored early against Atletico Madrid in the opening round - netted with a poised finish from 15 yards out.
Sevilla’s equalizer came in first-half stoppage time, as Dodi Lukebakio controlled a long pass and volleyed home.
Both sides had goals disallowed after video reviews before Pérez’s late winner for Villarreal.
The result Villarreal four points from two games, while Sevilla has one point.
