Paralympic Games

Three hundred volunteers participate in the opening ceremony of the 12th Athens Paralympic Games at the Olympic Stadium. A plane tree, 25 meters tall, the sun, and the natural elements (water, fire, earth, and air) is the ceremony's dominant components. The parade includes 3,837 athletes, representing 136 countries in 19 sports, a record number in the event's history. For the first time in the Paralympic Games history, athletes did not pay a fee for their participation. Georgios Topsis, a long jump athlete, lights the Paralympic flame. The games conclude September 28, and Greece wins 20 medals (3 gold, 13 silver, and four bronze).