(ATR) Rio 2016 tells Around the Rings that 105 of the 160 countries participating in the Paralympics will be settled into the Olympic Village by the end of Thursday.
"By the end of the day we’ll have 4.400 people," a Rio 2016 spokesperson tells ATR.
Organizers say 1,100 athletes, officials and coaches arrived in Rio on Thursday. They expect a total of 4,350 athletes to compete at the Games in 22 sports and 528 medal events throughout the 11-day program.
With the Paralympics now less than one week away, the Paralympic torch relay is beginning its 155 mile journey through six cities that will conclude in Rio during the opening ceremony.
Each city's relay will end with a miniature Paralympic cauldron being lit. Meanwhile, another flame will shine in the birthplace of the world’s Paralympic movement - Stoke Mandeville - in England. All six flames will be united to form a single flame at the Maracana Stadium during the opening ceremony.
The torch relay features 700 torchbearers throughout the six-day journey. People from around the world are also able to participate in the event through a virtual campaign released by the Rio 2016 Committee. Spectators can accumulate energy to light the flame by sending positive messages through hash tags on social networks.
Each city’s flame symbolizes a different Paralympic value.
The torch that is currently making its way through the city of Brasilia symbolizes equality. The first leg of the relay began at Dona Sara Kubitschek City Park, the largest urban park in Latin America. The celebration continues as torchbearers make stops at rehabilitation centers and institutes for the sight disabled with 28 visits overall.
Over the weekend the relay will be visiting the city of Natal, a symbol of inspiration, and the city of Sao Paulo, the country’s financial region in southeast Brazil whose flame will be a symbol of the power of transformation.
The relay will make its final stop at the Olympic Cauldron at the Maracana Stadium to begin the 2016 Paralympics on Sep. 7. The flame will stay lit at the Candelaria cauldron at Rio’s Centre through the duration of the Games.
The Rio Paralympic Games begin on Sep. 7 and will conclude on Sep. 18.
Written by Kevin Nutley and Courtney Colquitt
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