Some of the most memorable moments from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games provided the platform for a number of historic firsts, not least the inaugural time France's capital has hosted the competition.
And what a showcase it delivered.
Zakia Khudadadi won the Refugee Paralympic Team's first-ever medal with bronze in Para Taekwondo in the women’s K44 -47kg class, while Guillaume Junior Atangana became the first male refugee to medal at an Olympic or Paralympic Games after winning bronze in the men's 400m T11 three days later.
"I want to give this medal to the whole world," said Khudadadi, who had made her Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 just days after a harrowing escape from her home country of Afghanistan.
"I hope that one day there will be freedom in my country, for all the world, for all the girls, for all the women, for all the refugees in the world."
A number of nations were either represented for the first time, such as Sibhatu Kesete Weldemariam, for Eritrea, or claimed inaugural podium places. Palesha Goverdhan won bronze in taekwondo in the women's -57kg K44 discipline, the first-ever Paralympic or Olympic medal for Nepal.
In an altogether different kind of first, Para archer Jodie Grinham became the first known pregnant athlete on a Paralympic podium. The Brit, whose second child is due two months after the Games conclude, won the women's individual compound bronze then mixed team gold alongside Nathan Macqueen, despite having to pause at times to reset her focus due to the baby kicking.
While Great Britain’s Iona Winnifrith (13) and Bly Twomey (14) were among the youngest competitors - and medallists - at Paris 2024, for other athletes, it was their longevity that made them stood out.
Thomas Wandschneider, who had spent six years living in his car as he pursued his Paralympic dream and now runs a holiday home rental business in Spain, won bronze in para badminton at 60 years old.
Japan's Ito Tomoya, meanwhile, who took up Para athletics when he accidentally ordered a racing wheelchair and gave it a try, won bronze in men's 400m T52 at 61.
Paralympic superstars Vio, Rehm and Masters live up to their billing and not just with medals
Meanwhile, the three international athletes honoured by being chosen to participate in a greater role at the Opening Ceremony on 28 August by carrying the Paralympic torch, lived up to their billing.
Germany's Markus Rehm secured his fifth Paralympic gold medal, and a fourth consecutive in long jump in T64, while Oksana Masters, a 17-time Paralympic medallist in four different Para sports – both Summer and Winter – before Paris, added two gold medals to her tally.
The American had an amusing moment after defending her H4-5 individual time trial title from Tokyo 2020 saying afterwards: “I had no idea where I was when I first crossed the finish line. And then all of a sudden, very vaguely, I hear ‘gold for USA’. And I was like ‘did they just say gold?’ I can’t believe it.”
Beatrice 'Bebe' Vio Grandis, meanwhile, reminded us that it's not all about winning, even if that was the expectation placed on the superstar wheelchair fencer. After the Italian came unstuck against Xiao Rong, losing the women's foil category B semi-final to the People's Republic of China athlete, the quadruple amputee reacted with grace. "Xiao was better than me, she was better prepared physically and mentally."
Vio went on to win two medals in Paris, including both individual and team bronze, to add to the individual gold medals she won at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020.
Great Britain's Sarah Storey also extended her extensive medal tally across nine Paralympic Games to claim a 19th gold medal – across both swimming in her early career, and road cycling – 29 in total.
That's two medals behind Team USA's Jessica Long who gave an insight into what she's thinking as she headed toward the end of the 400m freestyle in the pool in the women's S8 category to claim the 17th of her 18 golds.
"I just tried to channel and put my head down, and I was like: ‘You know what? This last 50m might hurt, but not doing well might hurt even more’."
Spain's Teresa Perales also joins the illustrious group with bronze in women's S2 50m backstroke to make the podium in seven Paralympic Games, with 28 medals to her name.
Other notable athletes include Melissa Tapper of Australia and Brazil's Bruna Alexandre, both of whom competed in table tennis in both the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games at Paris 2024. Alexandra made her Olympic debut in France, while this is the third time doubling up for Tapper.
Sibhatu Weldemariam, the first Paraylmpic athlete to compete for Eritrea, adjusts his sunglasses while competing at the Stade de France in the men's 400m T54 heats
City of Love works its magic again
Meanwhile as per their Olympic counterparts, the Paralympians made use of being in the City of Love, with proposals at iconic locations such as at the Eiffel Tower, but even from the field of play.
Italian sprinter Alessandro Ossola just missed a place in the final of the T63 100m at the Stade de France, but he also had a different kind of bling than a medal in mind.
Ossola headed to the spectator area and proposed to his girlfriend, Arianna Mandaradoni.
The moment drew applause and cheers from the packed crowd, but many likely did not know the background of the incredible moment.
A motorcycle accident in 2015 resulted in the death of Ossola's first wife and he had to have most of his left leg amputated.
"Sport gave me a way to take action and a way out of a very dark period," said Ossola, who made his Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020. "After my accident, I lost a lot — everything but my smile — but sport pushed me to smile more and more."
No doubt many of those competing at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games couldn't agree more, Alessandro.
Another unforgettable moment from these Paralympic Games came from Team USA’s power couple, the Woodhalls.
Paralympian Hunter Woodhall sprinted to gold in the men’s 400m T62 final on 6 September and secured bronze in the 4x100m relay, just weeks after his wife, Tara Davis-Woodhall, won Olympic gold in the women’s long jump.
Their victories on the Olympic and Paralympic stages have captured the hearts of fans worldwide, as the couple celebrated each other’s success.
“It was a dream for us to both win gold and now we have. We’ll be wearing these golds for the rest of our lives,” the Paralympic champion said.