Paralympic Opening Ceremony A Spectacular Success

New Zealand Paralympic athletes witnessed a spectacular opening ceremony which had the wow factor at the Beijing Paralympics early Sunday morning.

Chef de Mission, Duane Kale said all athletes and officials were just amazed at what they saw.

“It was absolutely mind blowing. They promised us a spectacular event and they certainly delivered. Staff and athletes new and old said it was the most spectacular they had ever seen.”

Kale described the opening as a mixture of performance which featured music, dance and fireworks with the four seasons a theme throughout.

In his fourth Paralympics wheelchair rugby player Sholto Taylor carried the New Zealand flag with plenty of pride during the march-in (see pictured below).

Kale was still adamant that the team of 30 Kiwi athletes can reach the goal of a minimum of 13 medals.

“There is a very defined measure of success we are aiming for and we make no secret that the team is small, but is a potential medal-winning team. Our goal is medals,” says Kale, a four-time gold medal winner at the Atlanta Paralympics.

The first athletes to compete for New Zealand will be late this afternoon Sunday 7 September in Boccia round robin – Liam Sanders, Kerri Bonner, Jeremy Morris, Maurice Toon Henk Dijkstra, Greig Jackson and Amanda Slade while in Cycling the tandem of Jayne Parsons and Annaliisa Farrell will compete on the track