PARALYMPICS 2008 OPENING CEREMONY
Saturday 6 September, 1250-1630 BST
Germany and Mongolia to Cooperate on UN Peacekeeping ...
German minister urges China to enure human rights ...
Brown calls on Israel to freeze settlement construction ...
Beijing unveils new traffic curbs ...
African goals first at G-8 summit ...
Live - South Africa v Wales ... Watch live on BBC ONE and the BBC website (UK users only)
Saturday's opening ceremony of the 13th staging of the Paralympics is due to start at 1300 BST in Beijing.
The Paralympic torch reached Beijing on Friday ahead of the three-hour ceremony at a sold-out Bird's Nest, which will feature 6,000 performers.
Four thousand disabled athletes from almost 150 countries will take part.
Britain has sent 206 competitors and Danny Crates, who won 800m gold at the Athens Games in 2004, will carry the British flag at the opening ceremony.
"We present two Games of equal splendour as a solemn commitment to the entire world," said organiser Wang Wei.
The opening spectacular will feature a number of disabled actors and actresses, and focus on themes of space, time and life.
The Games will run until Wednesday, 17 September, with athletes competing in 20 sports.
The majority of sports take place in Beijing, but Qingdao and Hong Kong reprise their Olympic roles as sailing and equestrian venues respectively.
China, which has entered 332 athletes for the Paralympics, is nearly certain to top the medal table.
British chief Phil Lane has urged his team to "scrap for the top three" on the back of their second place in Athens, where the team won 94 medals, including 35 golds.
Wheelchair athlete Dave Weir, who won silver and bronze in 2004, has vowed to claim victory in at least one of his five events - the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon.
"This is the most important event in the world to me," said Weir ahead of Saturday's ceremony. "I'm just happy to get one gold, I don't care what it's in."
For the first time in 20 years the British team is missing Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson.
The Paralympic legend won 11 gold medals in five Games before retiring in 2005, handing Welsh compatriot Dave Roberts the chance to overhaul her formidable career tally.
The 28-year-old swimmer has won seven Paralympic gold medals in two Games to date, and enters five races at the Water Cube.
"It is an honour to be mentioned in the same breath, but I'm here to focus on me," said Roberts. "If the record comes, it comes."
At the Laoshan Velodrome, British cyclist Jody Cundy is hoping to emulate Chris Hoy's historic Olympic achievement.
"Every time I get on the bike I seem to be going faster and faster," said Cundy, who trains alongside Hoy in Manchester.
"I'm a bit worried about when it's going to plateau but, if it keeps going the way it's going, then I'm really looking forward to how fast I can go."
South African double amputee Oscar Pistorius - dubbed "Blade Runner" due to the carbon fibre blades with which he has won a host of track titles - is expected to star at the Games.
Pistorius, who overturned a ban on his competing in able-bodied sports earlier in the year but failed to reach the Olympic qualifying time, remains one of the best-known figures in disability sport.
His compatriot Natalie du Toit, who finished 16th in the women's 10km marathon swim in last month's Olympics, is expected to dominate in the pool.
The South African, who lost her lower left leg in a scooter accident seven years ago, won five golds and one silver in Athens.
Beijing has made a big effort to become more disabled-friendly ahead of the Paralympics.
Big projects have included disabled access to the capital's subway network, China's first fleet of easy-access taxis, and accessibility for tourist destinations like the Great Wall.
However, some local residents say plans have been flawed - with grooved pavements placed as walking guides for blind people rendered useless, as cars are allowed to park over them.
"We are trying to put in place a social atmosphere that cares about the handicapped and this is a challenge," said organiser Jiang Xiaoyu.
Officials say that more than two million tickets to be sold for Paralympic events.
(BBC)
<< Back