Paralympics closing ceremony LIVE: Tokyo Games declared closed as Great Britain finish second in medal table

After six athletes from the Tokyo Paralympics were elected to the IPC’s athletes’ council, the performance element of the closing ceremony kicks back into life.

The eyes are drawn to the colourful costumes and performers on unicycles, which are nature-themed to demonstrate a link between urban and rural landscapes.

It’s all part of the show which is titled, “A Harmonious Cacophony”, which is the central theme of the closing ceremony.

Here’s the moment David Smith carried the ParalympicsGB flag into the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo.

What an honour for the 32-year-old boccia champion.

The Paralympics closing ceremony is now recognising athletes and organisations who have made significant contributions to their society by promoting inclusion through sport .

The I’mPOSSIBLE Award has recognised Lassam Katongo of Zambia, the Lilongwe LEA School in Malawi and the Kiyomidai Elementary School in Chiba, Japan for their contributions.

Some exceptional images to close what has been a hugely meaningful and successful Games for so many.

The Olympic Stadium has been the setting for so many of those moments which will live long in the memory after a summer in Tokyo.

David Smith, the most successful Paralympic Boccia player in British history, is carrying the Union Jack for Paralympics GB as a small number of athletes enter the arena alongside him.

What a ten days it has been for the British squad, which secured second-place in the standings earlier this morning after hitting a total of 124 medals.

That red-and-blue mohawk really is one of the defining images of the Games, isn’t it?

The parade of athletes through the stadium is now taking place, with flags flying while dancers line the running track.

The refugee Paralympic team is first, followed by Iceland and Ireland. Applause is coming from the modest crowd of other athletes, media and dignitaries who have been allowed entry to the stadium.

It’s great to see so many of those athletes who took part in the Games, in such difficult circumstances without crowds, having one last moment of glory in front of the watching world.

Fumihito Prince Akishino, Crown Prince of Japan has entered the arena alongside International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons, with both set to address the event later in the afternoon.

The national flag of Japan is currently being carried into the arena by six of the country’s citizens, including medal-winning athletes from this summer’s Paralympics and and Olympics, and healthcare staff who have worked to protect the country throughout the pandemic.

It is important to remember of course that not only were these Games delayed by a year, but their eventual hosting still faced significant opposition from the Japanese public, who have been living under strict restrictions throughout the summer.

The first in-stadium portion of the closing ceremony is showing-off Japanese urban youth culture, complete with a teenage DJ using a launchpad, guitar and keyboard players and a break-dancer who suffers from retinal pigment degeneration.

There’s also somebody spinning around on his own head at quite a pace. He apparently holds the world record for most hands-free head rotations in 60 seconds. I feel nauseated just watching, never mind trying it.

lt really is a shame that, although understandably, the people of Tokyo haven’t been able to be a bigger part of both the Paralympics and Olympics earlier this summer. Of course, the achievements of athletes in both Games have been spectacular, but people, crowds and culture are such a huge part of the Games, and their role has undoubtedly been lessened this time around.

The show-stopper event set to round-off the summer’s Paralympic Games in Tokyo is now beginning in the Japan National Stadium.

A flurry of fireworks, no doubt the first of many, has led into a montage of some of the Games’ most spectacular moments across all sports. The joy on the faces of so many of these athletes, whose preparation for the competition was so badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, is a joy to behold.

This VT is also highlighting the influence of the Games on the city of Tokyo itself, with Japanese citizens performing a variety of dances and musical pieces with the skyline lit up in the background.

Triathlon gold medallist Lauren Steadman says the reality of her triumph in Tokyo hasn’t quite settled yet ahead of the Paralympics closing ceremony.

“I have dreamed of that for many, many years, but I don’t think it’s quite hit home yet,” she told Channel 4’s live coverage. “Maybe once I’ve got off the plane and I’m with my family again. That moment is going to stay with me forever. “

The 28-year-old, who took PTS5 silver in Rio before going one better this time around, spoke about how difficult the conditions were.

“The weather was really hot and the humidity was over 85%. It was hard to set a pace to manage each part of the triathlon.

“I remember being on that last run lap and thinking, ‘Lauren, how much do you want this? How much have you got left to give?’”