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Rio 2016: Let the Games begin!
After four long years of waiting, the Paralympics will finally return to our screens today! This evening will see the spectacle of the opening ceremony, taking place at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium at 9:30pm UK time. This will be followed by eleven days of intense competition, with more than 4,350 elite para-athletes from approximately 160 countries competing for medals across 22 sports and 528 events.
Against this backdrop, 264-strong Team GB are looking to top their impressive medal haul of 34 golds at London 2012, setting their sights on 121 medals in total and second place for this year’s competition. Expect to see some familiar names from four years ago – including cyclist Dame Sarah Storey, who looks set to secure her place as Britain’s most successful ever female Paralympian during these games – as well as some new blood coming through to boldly challenge themselves, their competitors and people’s preconceptions of disability.
Channel 4 is the official UK broadcaster of Rio 2016 Olympic games, and as well as tuning in on the TV you can find lots of useful and interesting information on their website, including live web coverage and video guides to all the sports . For a full daily schedule of the games meanwhile, visit the official Rio 2016 website. And don’t forget to check out The Last Leg’s offbeat and humorous round-up of each day of the Paralympics, beginning tonight on Channel 4 at 8PM.
We’re very excited for the action to begin, and we’d love to hear what you think about the Rio 2016 Paralympics. Get involved in the discussion below, and tell us about your favourite sports and athletes, your predictions and anything else related to the games.
We’d also love to hear your opinions on the impact that the Paralympics have on perceptions of disability, and the opportunities that they hold for young disabled people.
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