The Paralympics open in 100 days. Paris organizers are launching a campaign to boost ticket sales
By JEROME PUGMIRE
AP Sports Writer
PARIS (AP) — With 100 days until the Paralympics begin, Paris organizers are delivering a message from the athletes in a bid to boost ticket sales: I am not missing anything, except you.
The countdown campaign for the Aug 28-Sept. 8 Paralympic Games begins Monday. It features three Paralympic athletes, each of them alone in an empty stadium. The campaign slogan — “Il ne me manque rien, sauf vous” (I’m not missing anything, except you) — is a rallying call to get people to come along and watch them competing.
The French athletes featured in the campaign are Arnaud Assoumani, a long jump and triple jump specialist who won gold at the 2008 Games in Beijing; wheelchair tennis player Pauline Déroulède, and blind soccer player Gaël Rivière who was a European championship winner two years ago. He plays at club level for Bondy Cécifoot Club — in the same suburb where France star Kylian Mbappé grew up.
National broadcaster France Télévisions will show the campaign in a bid to raise awareness and — ultimately — boost sales. So far, 900,000 of the 2.8 million tickets have been sold.
A total of 4,400 athletes will take part in the Paralympics. Tickets are available from 15 euros ($16) for track and field sessions at Stade de France, wheelchair tennis at Roland Garros, or blind soccer at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The finals cost from 25 ($27) euros and it’s 45 euros ($49) to watch the closing ceremony.
Ticket sales could escalate once posters start appearing around Paris, with organizers aiming to raise awareness and increase fan engagement and solidarity.
There will be 651 posters dotted around the city, 972 on the subway and a further 2,520 on the sides of buses.
On Tuesday, four Paralympic athletes will walk up the famed steps at the Cannes Film Festival along with Paris 2024 Olympic head Tony Estanguet.
Of the tickets sold so far, organizers said 300,000 have been bought by the state and 150,000 by the International Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee.
Organizers haven’t released details for the amount of tickets sold for the opening ceremony, which takes place along a section of the famed Champs-Élysées.
Paul McCartney has let the song “We All Stand Together” be used in a promotional film for the International Paralympic Committee.
The Paralympics will have a record 164 broadcasters worldwide covering 549 events across 22 sports.
The 12-day event follows the July 26-Aug. 11 Olympics in Paris.
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