Dunedin’s Anna Grimaldi proudly waved the flag for New Zealand at the Paralympic Games opening ceremony in Paris this morning.
Grimaldi, competing in her third Paralympics, was New Zealand’s flag bearer alongside swimmer Cameron Leslie at the Place de la Concorde.
It was a ‘‘pinch me moment’’ for the Dunedin long jumper, who won gold in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo 2020. She will also compete in the 100m and 200m.
Anna Grimaldi and Cameron Leslie, flag bearers of Team New Zealand, hold their national flag as they parade during the Opening Ceremony of the Paralympic Games in Paris. Photo: Getty Images
About 4400 athletes, including 25 from New Zealand, from more than 160 countries are in Paris for the Paralympics across the next 11 days.
The Paralympics officially get under way tonight with cyclist Nicole Murray in the women’s C4-5 500m and New Zealand's first para badminton athlete Wojtek Czyz, who previously represented Germany.
