KATU 2 – Portland, Oregon – Nine-day Winter Paralympics opens in Turin
March 10, 2006
TURIN, Italy – Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi and a crowd of 30,000 on Friday attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Paralympics, which features 486 athletes from 39 countries.
Fifty-eight medals will be contested in five disciplines – Alpine skiing, ice sledge hockey, Nordic skiing, biathlon and, for the first time, wheelchair curling – over nine days.
Organizers expect 200,000 fans at the Paralympics venues in Turin, Sestriere, Pragelato and Pinerolo.
Former Olympic ski champions Alberto Tomba and Stefania Belmondo, and Juventus coach Fabio Capello and some of his players were at the two-hour ceremony at the Olympic stadium.
A human chain of athletes representing all countries took the Olympic torch to the cauldron, which was lit by Silvia Battaglio, a blind 11-year-old Italian girl.
Random anti-doping tests will be performed, while the medalists in each event also will be tested .
“There are no worrying signals … but doping is a threat also for disabled sports,” said Miguel Sagarra, vice president of the International Paralympic Committee.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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