Paralympic Highlights For The Week -- Monday Memo

(ATR) The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games are off to a spectacular start with the Opening Ceremony's crowd packing the Maracana Stadium.

4,300 Paralympians from 159 countries are competing this year along with a team comprised of refugee athletes.

These Games introduce two new sports to the Paralympic program: paracanoe and paratriathlon. The paratriathlon took place on Saturday and Sunday with the winners relishing their time in the Copacabana sun. Paracanoe begins Wednesday with the medal events on Thursday.

Rowing and track cycling joined paratriathlon and judo as the first sports to finish at Rio 2016 over the weekend.

Monday marks the first day for athletes in boccia and wheelchair fencing to compete for medals. The first medal events of wheelchair tennis and equestrian will begin on Tuesday.

Road cycling and wheelchair rugby (also known as 'murderball') join paracanoe as the final sports to begin in Rio on Wednesday. The final four days of competition feature medal events in 17 of the 23 sports disciplines.

The men's and women's wheelchair marathons athletes will be the final medalists of the Games on the afternoon of Sep. 18. The closing ceremony will then get underway at 8 pm local time officially concluding the Rio 2016 Paralympics.

Heading into the final week of competition, China is in the lead with a total of 80 medals, 31 being gold. Great Britain is in second with 46 medals and Ukraine is a close third with 41.

The Rio Paralympic Games began on Sep. 7 and will conclude on Sep. 18

New sports minister supports PyeongChang

Cho Yoon-sun was appointed the new minister of culture, sports and tourism and is fully committed to making the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games a successful one.

"I am sure there will be difficulties along the way, but I hope you will all keep in mind how much the people wanted to bring the Winter Olympics home" Cho said in a statement.

"As the Cabinet minister in charge, I will spare no efforts in providing necessary support"

Cho was escorted around thePyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (POCOG) facilities and construction areas where venues for the 2018 Games will be built.

"If Seoul 1988 put South Korea on the global map, then PyeongChang 2018 should make us earn admiration from the rest of the world," she adds.

The PyeongChang Games will run from Feb. 9-25, 2018.

Memorial Service for Vera Caslavska Today

The family of Olympic gymnast Vera Caslavska who died of cancer will be holding her memorial atthe National Theater in Prague today. She was 74.

Vera's accomplishments are many but not limited towinning seven Olympic gold medals and serving as president of the Czechoslovak and later the Czech Republic Olympic Committee from 1990-1996.

She also served as a member of the IOC from1995-2001.

Members of the public will be allowed to pay tribute to Caslavska at the National Theater after the official program ends, according to the Czech government office.

IOC President Thomas Bach will not be attending the memorial service. However,Pal Schmitt will represent the IOC and will be accompanied by his wife, who competed against Caslavska in the 1960s.

Close to 50 Ambassadors from Japan are likely to attend along with members of the Czech and Slovakian Olympic Committees.

"Till the last moment, she was full of energy which she managed to pass on to all those around her. We will miss her greatly" said Czech Olympic Committee president Jiri Kejval.

Written by Courtney Colquitt

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