Paralympics closing ceremony LIVE: Tokyo Games declared closed as Great Britain finish second in medal table
Follow all the action from day 11 of the Tokyo Paralympic Games
The Tokyo Paralympics has come to an end in terms of the events - and the official end of a summer of toil and glory will come with the closing ceremony.
ParalympicsGB ended the Games in second place in the medal table, a hugely creditable haul of 124 medals all up which included no fewer than 41 golds - only China earned more. The latest successes saw Great Britain take a bronze in wheelchair basketball, repeating their efforts from Rio despite even more struggles than ever before, while Krysten Coombs earned bronze in the men’s SH6 badminton singles too.
David Smith will carry the flag for Great Britain after his boccia gold medal success, his fifth paralympic medal overall. He said: “It is an unbelievable honour to be leading out the ParalympicsGB team at the Paralympic Games closing ceremony. Not only am I representing the sport that I love, but the wider ParalympicsGB team too.”
The ceremony takes place at the Olympic Stadium and starts from around 11am BST.
Follow all the latest updates from the closing ceremony in Tokyo:
Tokyo Paralympics: Paris promises ‘big’ Games
With the Paralympics heading to Paris in just three years time, the organisers of the 2024 Games have promised to “go big” as the country hosts the event for the first time.
The party atmosphere that followed the handover of the Paralympic to Paris was a reminder of what was missing in Tokyo despite the city putting on such a memorable spectacle: the fans.
Final miracle medal for Great Britain as wheelchair basketball repeats Rio bronze
At the end of the miracle Games, there was one more miracle medal for Great Britain – even if it wasn’t the colour the men’s wheelchair basketball team were targeting.
For the sixth straight Paralympics they played for bronze and for the fourth time they won it, with a 68-58 victory against Spain on the final day in Tokyo.
Considering they’re also the reigning world champions, this might appear an underwhelming result akin to another pair of socks at the bottom of a Christmas stocking.
But after the tumultuous build-up to the Games, which saw their head coach test positive for Covid just days before the squad were due to fly to Tokyo, this bronze means so much more.
Read Charlie Bennett’s final report from Tokyo on a special achievement from the GB team.
Final miracle medal for Great Britain as wheelchair basketball repeats Rio bronze
Biggest sports gamble in history pays off as Great Britain inspires another generation in Japan
With the remarkable Tokyo Paralympic now officially over, reporter James Toney has reflected on an extraordinary Games for Great Britain in Japan.
Performances from Ellie Robinson, Alfie Hewett, David Smith and countless others have contributed towards a “historic” 10 days for ParalympicsGB.
The challenge, now, is to ensure theirs is a long-lasting impact.
Biggest sports gamble in history pays off as GB inspires another generation in Japan
Paralympics closing ceremony: Flame extinguished inside stadium
The cauldron inside the Olympic Stadium closes on itself for the final time as the Paralympic flame is extinguished - that brings an end to the closing ceremony.
Paralympics closing ceremony
Prince Harry was featured in the IPC’s ‘We the 15’ video, which reaffirms their push for inclusivity and change following the completion of the Paralympic Games.
A special and emotional rendition of ‘What a Wonderful World’ is then performed in the Olympic Stadium, as we prepare to extinguish the Paralympic flame.
Paralympics closing ceremony: Games declared closed
Parsons concludes his speech by declaring the Paralympic Games officially closed.
Paralympics closing ceremony: Speeches underway
Tokyo 2020 Seiko Hashimoto is the first to speak and thanks the athletes for “filling stadiums with smiles”.
She adds: “Change starts with awareness. We’re determined to build a diverse and inclusive future where people recognise and support each other’s differences free from discrimination or barriers of any kind.”
IPC president Andrew Parsons begins his closing speech by thanking Japan. “Together, against the odds, we did it. You, the people of Japan, made this possible.” He declares his “immense gratitude” to the organisers of the Games.
Parsons then says the Tokyo Paralympics has seen athletes celebrate their differences, and reaffirms his commitment to pushing for increased inclusivity for the 15 per cent of the world’s population who have a disability.
Paralympics closing ceremony: Party time in Paris
The Paralympic Games have been passed over to Paris, and in some style!
There’s a burst of noise and colour as we are transported to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where the handover party is in full flow.
The music is provided by French DJ Pone, who was diagnosed with ALS in 2015. He performs from his bed through a screen using eye-tracking software. He is a remarkable artist.
Paralympics closing ceremony
The passing of the Paralympic flag involves figures from Tokyo, the IPC and Paris.
Yuriko Koike, the governor of Tokyo, passes the flag onto IPC president Andrew Parsons. He then hands it over to Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris.
The French flag will now be raised inside the Olympic Stadium while La Marseillaise plays out.
Paralympics closing ceremony
The performance reaches a high-tempo crescendo, as all the dancers from the ceremony come together in a colourful and powerful conclusion.
The Paralympic flag has now been lowered and will be passed onto the representatives from Paris 2024.
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