Hong Kong-born martial arts legend Jackie Chan is set to be one of the torchbearers for the upcoming Paralympic Games in Paris.
The 70-year-old actor, celebrated for his daring stunts and acrobatic fight sequences, will carry the Paralympic flame through the French capital on Wednesday afternoon (28.08.2024), just hours before the much-anticipated opening ceremony.
Joining Chan in this honour are French actress Elsa Zylberstein and renowned dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied, who will also participate in the torch relay.
The opening ceremony, similar to the Olympics, will take place outside the traditional stadium setting. Instead, the event will feature a grand parade down the iconic Champs-Élysées, culminating at the Place de la Concorde in the heart of Paris.
The flame, ignited on Saturday in Stoke Mandeville, UK—the historic birthplace of the Paralympic Games—made its way to France via the Channel Tunnel on Sunday. It was carried by Emmanuelle Assmann, a wheelchair fencing medalist, as it arrived on French soil.
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Following its arrival, the flame will be divided into 12 Paralympic flames, which will be carried by 1,000 torchbearers across 50 towns in 12 simultaneous relays. These flames will eventually converge in Paris, where they will come together on Wednesday for the opening ceremony, marking the official start of the Paralympic Games.
