Nigeria’s Folashade Oluwafemiayo has just broken a World Record in the 2024 women’s over 86kg Para-Powerlifting, becoming the first Para-athlete in history to lift 167kg.

Oluwafemiayo’s lift of 167kg is the highest ever recorded in the women’s over 86kg category, making her the first Para-athlete in history to lift 167kg.

China’s Deng Xuemei finished second with 155 kg, while Egypt’s Nadia Ali came in third with 145 kg.

More details later

The Paris Paralympics begin on Wednesday with a spectacular opening ceremony in the centre of the French capital, firing the starting gun on 11 days of intense competition.

Just as for the opening ceremony of the Olympics on the River Seine in July, the ceremony will take place away from the main stadium for the first time at a Paralympics.

It is in Place de la Concorde, the historic square where skateboarding and other ‘urban’ sports took place during the Olympics, that the Games will open.

When the sporting action begins on Thursday, a new generation of Paralympians will join seasoned veterans competing in many of the same venues that hosted Olympic sports.

A total of 18 of the 35 Olympic venues will be used for the Paralympics, which run until September 8, including the Grand Palais which scored rave reviews for its hosting of the fencing and taekwondo under an ornate roof.

The La Defense Arena will again host the swimming events and track and field will take place on the purple track of the Stade de France.

Sluggish ticket sales have picked up since the Olympics and more than two million of the 2.5 million available have been sold, with several venues sold out.

The Paralympic flame was lit at Stoke Mandeville hospital in England, the birthplace of the Games, and brought to France through the Channel Tunnel before touring French cities.

Theatre director Thomas Jolly, who also oversaw the Olympics opening ceremony, said there was a deep symbolism in having the Paralympics ceremony in the centre of the French capital — a city whose Metro system, in particular, is completely unadapted to the needs of wheelchair users.

“Putting Paralympic athletes in the heart of the city is already a political marker in the sense that the city is not sufficiently adapted to every handicapped person,” Jolly said earlier this week.

Organisers say wheelchair users can take Paris buses and they have laid on 1,000 specially adapted taxis as well.

– Strong Chinese squad –

Paralympic powerhouse China will send a strong squad — the Chinese dominated the medals table at the Covid-delayed Games in Tokyo three years ago winning 96 golds. Britain were second with 41 golds.

Riding the wave of its Olympic team’s success, host nation France will be aiming for a substantial upgrade on the 11 golds it won in 2021, which left it in 14th position.

French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said she wants France to finish in the top eight of the medals table.

Ukraine, traditionally one of the top medal-winning nations at the Paralympics, have sent a team of 140 athletes spread over 17 sports despite the challenges they face in preparing as the war against Russian forces rages at home.

Russia and Belarus are sending a total of 96 athletes who will compete under a neutral banner but are barred from the opening and closing ceremonies because of the invasion of Ukraine.

– New stars, seasoned veterans –

Every Games produces new stars, and in this edition look to American above-the-knee amputee sprinter/high jumper Ezra Frech to make the headlines.

Away from the track, Iranian sitting volleyball legend Morteza Mehrzad, who stands 8ft 1in (2.46m) tall, will attempt to take gold again.

The Paralympics always have a far wider message than simply sport and International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons told AFP earlier this year he hopes the Paris edition will restore the issues facing disabled people to the top of the list of global priorities.

Parsons believes the Games “will have a big impact in how people with disability are perceived around the world”.

“This is one of the key expectations we have around Paris 2024; we believe that we need people with disability to be put back on the global agenda,” the Brazilian said.

He argued that disability had fallen behind sexual and gender identity in recent years.

“We do believe people with disability have been left behind. There is very little debate about persons with disability.”

The 35-member contingent, which includes 23 athletes, seven coaches, and five medical personnel, reached the Games Village on Thursday after completing their training camp in Germany.

Suleiman Isah, the Secretary General of the Paralympic Committee of Nigeria (PCN), informed journalists that PCN President, Sunday Odebode, welcomed the team upon their arrival. Isah stated,

“The Team Nigeria arrived today from Germany, where they had been preparing for weeks.

The PCN President and I received the team, and they are now settling in. Training is set to begin tomorrow.”

Nasiru Sule, the head coach of Team Nigeria and a bronze medalist in table tennis from the Atlanta Paralympics, expressed confidence in the team’s readiness.

He noted, “The atmosphere is calm and conducive.

All the athletes are eager to compete and make the country proud. They have trained vigorously and are highly motivated.”

Sule added that the athletes are determined and well-prepared, thanks to the thorough planning and focus of the PCN leadership during the training camp.

“We are in high spirits and ready for the challenge. While I cannot predict the exact number or color of medals,

They have given us drama, golds and inspiration from their legendary Olympic performances. Now they are (probably) departing the stage forever, leaving golden memories.

Here are five stars who had their last Olympics in Paris.

– Andy Murray –

Befitting a career punctuated by heroic comebacks, British tennis legend Andy Murray refused to go quietly into retirement at the Paris Games.

Having already announced it would be the last time fans saw him on court, he was on the verge of a first-round doubles exit against Japan, who had five match points.

Murray and partner Dan Evans saved everyone and went on to win a thrilling tie-break, cheered on by a delirious Roland Garros crowd who could scarcely believe what they were seeing.

Another Houdini act followed in the second round before the US team of Taylor Fritz and Taylor Paul brought an end to the career of Murray, who at the age of 37 was beset with injury.

“I am genuinely happy just now. I’m happy with how it finished,” said Murray, who famously ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a Wimbledon winner, one of three Grand Slams and two Olympic golds.

The Scot, known for a dry sense of humour, signed off in style, writing on X a few hours after leaving the court: “Never even liked tennis anyway.”

– Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce –

Also 37, the Jamaican sprinter had already announced that Paris would be a “last hurrah”, saying that she wanted to “make different memories” after winning eight Olympic medals, three of them gold.

Fraser-Pryce won back-to-back 100m Olympic titles in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 and captured a 4x100m relay gold in Tokyo for good measure.

But her Paris experience was a let-down. After coming through her 100m heat in 10.92, she was a no-show for the semi-final, reportedly injured in the warm-up.

“It is difficult for me to find the words to describe the depth of my disappointment,” she said on Instagram.

“The support of my fans, my country, and the larger community has rooted me in immense gratitude that has sustained me throughout my career,” she added.

– Adam Peaty –

Two-time breaststroke gold medallist Peaty has been as good as a guaranteed gold for Team GB since bursting onto the scene in 2014.

After gold in Rio and Tokyo, hopes were high that the world record holder would add to his impressive haul in Paris.

But an electric 100m breaststroke final saw him sharing silver and missing out by an agonising two hundredths of a second to champion Nicolo Martinenghi.

Peaty, who has struggled with his mental health in recent years and battled depression, wept after the race as he hugged his three-year-old son but insisted they were “happy tears.”

It later emerged that he tested positive for Covid the day after competing.

But he bounced back in time to feature in the 4x100m medley relay, just missing out on a podium place as Britain finished fourth.

– Simone Biles –

Have we seen the last of the US superstars, widely viewed as the greatest gymnast of all time?

The Paris Games was billed as the “redemption tour”, after Biles famously suffered from the debilitating “Twisties” in Tokyo and crashed out.

She did not disappoint, taking gold in the all-around, team, and vault with a spectacular version of her signature Yurchenko double pike, now known as the Biles II.

Now 27, she appeared fatigued on her last day of competition, stumbled off the balance beam and won “only” silver in the floor competition behind Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade.

In what could be interpreted as a changing of the guard, Biles bowed deeply to Andrade during the medal ceremony.

“I’ve accomplished way more than my wildest dreams not just at this Olympics but in the sport,” said Biles, who owns a jaw-dropping 41 world and Olympic medals — 30 of them gold.

Asked what she would do next, she replied: “I’m going to relax, and then more relaxing!”

But could the draw of a home Olympics in 2028 prove too tempting? “Never say never,” said Biles, who would be 31.

– LeBron James –

The NBA’s all-time leading points scorer secured his third Olympic gold medal with US in a hard-fought 98-87 win against France.

He lives and plays in Los Angeles for the Lakers, but he’ll be 43 by the time the Olympics rolls into California.

“I can’t see myself playing in LA. Although I also didn’t see myself playing in Paris. But four years from now, I can’t see it,” James said.

From a colourful, sometimes controversial opening ceremony to boxers caught up in a gender row to respectful bows on the gymnastics podium, the 2024 Olympics served up many memorable moments.

AFP Sport looks at 10 of the best:

Rain on opening ceremony parade

— Organisers promised a spectacular opening ceremony and the rain-soaked boat parade on the River Seine ended up making global headlines, but not for the expected reasons.

Church leaders, conservatives and even US presidential candidate Donald Trump were left outraged by a scene involving drag queens and lesbian DJ Barbara Butch that appeared to parody Jesus’s Last Supper.

Artistic director Thomas Jolly denied any such intention. He and others involved ended up facing vicious online harassment that led to police complaints.

Djokovic’s roar of approval

— Novak Djokovic stunned Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable men’s final to clinch tennis gold and become only the fifth player to complete the Golden Slam of all four majors plus Olympic gold.

The 37-year-old celebrated with a roar which echoed around Roland Garros before the tearful Serb clambered into the player’s box to embrace his wife Jelena and two children.

“There is no greater inspiration than representing your country,” said the 24-time Grand Slam title winner.

Alcaraz was also in tears, claiming he “had let Spain down”.

Biles bows to ‘queen’ Andrade

— Simone Biles may have been the star of the show but she was widely praised for bowing to her arch-rival Rebeca Andrade on the podium.

Biles said it was “just the right thing to do” after she and team-mate Jordan Chiles finished in silver and bronze medal position respectively behind the Brazilian in the floor final.

“Rebeca’s so amazing, she’s queen,” said Biles.

Romanian Ana Barbosu was later awarded the bronze medal after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled that Chiles should not have been upgraded from her initial fifth-place finish.

Lyles just in time

— World champion Noah Lyles roared to victory in 9.79sec to claim gold in a dramatic men’s Olympic 100m final in the closest finish in modern history — just five thousandths of a second separated him from Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson.

“I’m the man amongst all of them. I’m the wolf amongst wolves,” said Lyles whose victory was only confirmed after a photo-finish.

Not cricket as Pakistan top India at javelin

— Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem won the men’s javelin title, his country’s first individual gold at an Olympics, with a Games record of 92.97m.

In second place was India’s defending champion Neeraj Chopra.

“Rivalry is there when it comes to cricket matches, other sports, the two countries have a rivalry, but it’s a good thing for the young people in both countries to watch our sport and follow us. It’s a positive thing for both countries,” said Nadeem.

North-South Korea podium selfie goes viral

— Images of Olympic table tennis players from North Korea and South Korea taking a selfie together on the medal podium went viral in South Korea, hailed as a rare show of cross-border unity.

After South Korea won bronze and North Korea silver in the mixed doubles behind China, South Korea’s Lim Jong-hoon took a group photo after the medal ceremony.

North Korea’s Ri Jong Sik and Kim Kum Yong, the South’s Shin Yu-bin and the victorious Chinese team Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha all beamed into Lim’s phone, a South Korean-made Samsung.

“A selfie with both Koreas’ national flags and a Samsung phone,” said the widely read daily JongAng Ilbo.

Dreams come Trew

— Australian skateboarding sensation Arisa Trew, just 14, won the women’s park event to become her country’s youngest ever gold medallist.

Trew nailed a high-risk and high-speed final round in her trademark pink helmet, bringing the crowd to their feet at a sun-drenched Place de la Concorde.

The event also featured 11-year-old Zheng Haohao, the youngest athlete ever to represent China at the Olympics.

“Skateboarding in the Olympic Games isn’t much different from skateboarding in my neighbourhood. It’s just more spectators,” she told reporters.

Gender-row boxer beats ‘bullying’

— On a raucous night at Roland Garros, the storied home of the French Open, Algerian gender-row boxer Imane Khelif claimed gold and used her platform to hit back at “attacks” and “bullying” before defiantly declaring “I am a woman like any other.”

Together with Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting, who also fought in Paris, Khelif was disqualified from last year’s world championships after they failed gender eligibility tests.

However they were cleared to compete in Paris, setting the stage for one of the biggest controversies of the Games.

“I am fully qualified to take part, I am a woman like any other. I was born a woman, lived a woman and competed as a woman,” said the 25-year-old.

High five for Cuban wrestler

— Cuban wrestler Mijain Lopez made Olympic history when he became the first athlete to win five consecutive individual golds in the same event, bettering the records of Games icons such as Carl Lewis and Michael Phelps.

The soon-to-be 42-year-old then placed his shoes in the centre of the mat to signify his intention to retire.

“Wrestling has been the love of my life, for all of my life,” he said.

Cool hand Yusuf

— Turkish Olympic shooting silver medallist Yusuf Dikec became an overnight sensation for his casual style during competition.

His eye-catching posture saw the marksman wearing standard glasses, a team T-shirt and with his left hand casually tucked in his pocket.

Other than his pistol, he notably had none of the specialised equipment used by athletes in the hyper-precise event, like headphones, special lenses or a hat.

“The name’s Dikec. Yusuf Dikec,” said a social media post in reference to cinema icon James Bond.

The Nigeria Cycling Federation (NCF) clarified yesterday that the country’s lone cyclist at the ongoing Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Ese Ukpeseraye, was not initially registered to participate in the track events at the Games.

The story of Ukpeseraye’s participation in the keirin event with a bicycle borrowed from the German team at the Games went viral when the athlete posted it on her X account.

Reacting to the story yesterday, CFN President Giadomenico Massari said that the federation had to borrow a bicycle from its partners because it did not go with one.

According to Massari, Ukpeseraye only qualified for the Road Race and travelled to Paris with only the equipment required for the event.

However, Nigeria was invited to replace Egypt in the keirin and individual sprint event following the disqualification of an Egyptian track athlete.

He stressed that the track events require very special equipment, which is “approved specifically for the Olympics and requires many months before it can be delivered. But through our supporter and equipment sponsor, we were able to get the bike for the competition.

“The German team is in partnership with our supporters and sponsors, and the arrangement was made to ensure that she did not miss the competition.

“Our track bikes, which have been used for world championships, cannot be used at the Olympics because they are not approved for it. We only got all the approval by the UCI (cycling world body) and the IOC yesterday (Wednesday).”

Massari said that Ukpeseraye was able to train and race in the keirin event, adding that she will feature in the individual sprint today.