The Asturian ‘rider’ Víctor González led the Spanish delegation at the Opening Ceremony in ‘El Nido’
MADRID, 4 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) –
‘El Nido’ in Beijing hosted this Friday the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Winter Games, an act that was marked by the message that the invasion of Ukraine by Russia be put an end to and that had the Spanish protagonist ‘ rider’ Víctor González, who acted as flag bearer for the small national delegation.
“Tonight I want to start with a message of peace. As the leader of an organization whose core is inclusion, where diversity is celebrated and differences are accepted, I am horrified by what is happening in the world right now,” the president said. of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Andrew Parsons, in his speeches during the ceremony.
The body reversed its initial decision on Thursday to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under the Paralympic flag and finally vetoed their participation due to pressure from several countries and their threat not to compete.
“The 21st century is a time of dialogue and diplomacy, not of war and hatred,” recalled the Brazilian, who made it clear that the CPI is fighting to aspire “to a better and more inclusive world, free of discrimination, hatred, ignorance and conflict”. “Here in Beijing, Paralympians from 46 different nations will compete against each other, not against each other,” he warned.
The leader stressed that Paralympic athletes “know that an opponent does not have to be an enemy” and called on “world authorities to unite, as athletes do, and promote peace, understanding and inclusion”. “The world must be a place to share, not to divide,” said Parsons, who insisted on the power of sport to make changes.
On the other hand, the president of the CPI, as he did in Tokyo 2020, emphasized the ‘WeThe15’ movement, which refers to the 15 percent of the world’s population that has a disability, and with which they intend to “campaign for the visibility of disability, accessibility, inclusion and equal rights”.
Finally, he addressed the athletes, whose “preparations to reach these Games have not been easy, especially due to the global pandemic” and who reflect “determination and perseverance.” “Celebrate your achievements in Beijing and be proud that your skills can and will change the world for many millions of people,” she said.
Before that, there was the traditional parade of the 46 participating countries and the special moment for Víctor González, from Oviedo, in charge of carrying the Spanish flag in what was his second Paralympic Games after those of PyeongChang (South Korea) in 2018. ‘rider’ was accompanied by the other Spanish athlete present at the event, the Catalan cross-country skier Pol Makuri, who also had a very special day since he is making his Games debut.
‘El Nido’, which was able to have the presence of spectators, was able to give its ovations to the athletes, being the loudest, in addition to the Chinese delegation, for the Ukrainian, led by the biathlete Maksym Yarovyi and who received a lot of affection in a few moments complexes in their country and that they have made, as they indicated from their expedition, their presence in China a “miracle”.
The Inauguration Ceremony was based on the motto ‘Together for a shared future’, it was faithful to the country’s tradition, showy and colourful, with pyrotechnics once again playing a fundamental role and with messages not to give up despite adversity and in order to have a better tomorrow. The visually impaired Chinese jumper, a four-time Paralympic champion, was in charge of lighting the torch in the unique snowflake-shaped cauldron.