Paralympics 2024 opening ceremony LIVE: Paris prepares for start of Games with athletes parade

The rest of the ceremony will now take place at the Place de la Concorde. An very entertaining musical routine keeps the party atmosphere alive before the French national anthem is played.

In normal times, La Marseillaise is one of the outstanding anthems around. Now, with the eyes of the world on Paris, the performers slow down to beat as the French flag is raised into the air.

It’s a more emotional rendition.

Double Paralympic cycling champion Jaco van Gass is determined to secure more glory for Great Britain after revealing he wanted his adopted country to lose in Paris less than 12 months ago.

The former soldier, who was one of the breakout stars of Tokyo 2020, is competing in five events in the French capital, beginning on Friday with his defence of the C3 individual pursuit title.

“Honestly, when it comes to rugby, there’s only green and gold,” a smiling Van Gass told the PA news agency, “Any other sport, there might be split loyalties. But when it comes to rugby, I’m always a Boks supporter.”

The ‘my ability’ sequence begins with a film that gives a voice to people with disabilities.

It narrates their journeys from initial difficulty in accepting physical change and/or disability all the way through to their pride and new-found confidence in their bodies.

The VT displays the importance of reflection, adaptation, creativity and the support of others.

The next section is called ‘my ability’ and gives a voice to people who explain the successes they can have had despite regardless of the disabilities they live with.

The French team are still lapping and taking in the applause of the crowd. The next part of the ceremony has the more formal proceedings with the Paralympic flag and flames being brought out and speeches from the organisers.

In between each formality there’s more music, dancing and theatre.

Here’s a clip of the fly past earlier on. This was a moment that got all the onlookers excited:

The final three competing nations are Australia, who host the Games in 2023, the United States of America, the 2028 hosts, and of course France, the current hosts.

There’s a loud cheer as the French team head into the arena.

Kadeena Cox fell agonisingly short on the athletics track three years ago, finishing fourth in the 400m amid tendonitis in both heels and a battle with disordered eating.

“Tokyo is the one that haunts me still a little bit,” she said, “I know if I’d had a bit more time, I would have been able to do what I needed to.

“As much as I got two golds out there, I probably think more about the fact that I didn’t quite nail it in the athletics. It is that one that feels bitter-sweet. I was hoping to rectify that with this Games.

“I’m just a little bit of a fragile athlete. It is unfortunate but it’s the nature of the beast with doing a sport like athletics.”