Tokyo Paralympics ends with colorful and vibrant closing ceremony

Performers hold letters spelling out “Thank you to all the Paralympians!” during the Paralympics’ closing ceremony in Tokyo’s National Stadium on Sunday, September 5.

The Paralympic flame is extinguished during the closing ceremony.

Flag bearers for the United States, Japan and France enter the stadium during the closing ceremony.

Fireworks light up the sky above the National Stadium during the closing ceremony.

Dancers perform during the closing ceremony.

Artists perform during the closing ceremony.

Athletes take photos as fireworks light up the sky above the National Stadium during the closing ceremony.

Participants’ shadows are seen on the track during the closing ceremony.

Germany’s Johannes Floors celebrates after winning gold in a 400-meter race on Friday, September 3.

Great Britain’s Lee Manning, right, passes the ball as he collides with teammate Gregg Warburton during a wheelchair basketball game against Japan on September 3.

Argentina’s Florencia Belen Romero competes in the shot put on September 3.

Swimmers prepare for a backstroke race on Thursday, September 2.

Thailand’s Khwansuda Phuangkitcha, left, competes against Azerbaijan’s Royala Fataliyeva during a taekwondo match on September 2.

Wheelchair basketball players from the Netherlands celebrate after defeating Germany in a semifinal game on September 2.

Cyclists race at the Fuji International Speedway in Oyama, Japan, on September 2.

Japan’s Shingo Kunieda reaches for a shot during a wheelchair tennis semifinal on September 2. He defeated Great Britain’s Gordon Reid.

US cyclist Oksana Masters celebrates after winning gold in a road race on Wednesday, September 1.

Australia’s Dylan Alcott helps volunteers dry the court before his wheelchair tennis match on September 1.

Brazil’s Michel Gustavo Abraham de Deus competes in the long jump on August 31.

Brazil’s Thalita Simplício, left, and Venezuela’s Alejandra Paola Pérez López compete alongside their guides during a 100-meter race on Tuesday, August 31.

The United States’ Ezra Frech competes in the high jump on August 31.

Russia’s Viktoriia Lvova serves a ball during a wheelchair tennis match against Japan’s Momoko Ohtani on Monday, August 30.

Cuba’s Guillermo Varona Gonzalez competes in the javelin final on August 30.

Switzerland’s Marcel Hug prepares at the start of a 1,500-meter race, which he won on August 30. He’s also won gold in the 800 meters and the 5,000 meters this year.

Mexico’s Mónica Olivia Rodriguez and her guide, Kevin Teodoro Aguilar Perez, react after she won gold in a 1,500-meter race on August 30.

British players celebrate after defeating the United States in the wheelchair rugby gold-medal match on Sunday, August 29.

Japan’s Mami Tani competes in the bike leg of the triathlon on August 29.

Americans Eliana Mason, left, and Amanda Dennis compete in a goalball match against Brazil on Sunday, August 29.

Athletes are helped out of the water during a triathlon on August 29.

South Africa’s Ntando Mahlangu competes in the long jump, which he won on Saturday, August 28.

Rwanda’s Carine Kwizera, center, reacts after spiking a ball during a sitting volleyball match against the United States on August 28.

Russia’s Alexey Bychenok competes in a 5,000-meter race on Friday, August 27.

Japan’s Kanami Furukawa gets emotional following her table tennis victory over Hong Kong’s Wong Ting Ting on August 27.

Spain’s Xavier Porras competes in the long jump on August 27.

American archer Matt Stutzman holds the bow with his foot while competing on August 27.

Wheelchair basketball players from the United States and Germany compete in a preliminary round game on August 26.

Nigerian powerlifter Latifat Tijani competes on August 26. She won gold in her weight class.

Chinese swimmer Zheng Tao, center, competes in the 100-meter freestyle on August 26.

Hungarian fencer Amarilla Veres reacts after winning gold in the epee on August 26.

Great Britain’s Sophie Wells competes in dressage on August 26.

Danish athletes celebrate after beating Australia in a wheelchair rugby match on August 25.

American swimmer Natalie Sims competes in the 400-meter freestyle on August 25.

Canada’s Maryam Salehizadeh and Meghan Mahon compete in goalball, a team sport designed for athletes with a vision impairment, on August 25.

Hungarian fencer Eva Andrea Hajmasi, left, and China’s Bian Jing compete in a sabre semifinal on August 25. Bian went on to win the gold in her category.

Egypt’s Ibrahim Elhusseiny Hamadtou plays a table-tennis match on August 25.

Students watch a wheelchair rugby match between New Zealand and the United States on August 25.

Turkish swimmer Sevilay Ozturk competes in the 200-meter freestyle on August 25.

German cyclist Denise Schindler celebrates after winning bronze in a pursuit race on August 25.

The Paralympic cauldron is lit by three Japanese athletes during the opening ceremony in Tokyo on August 24. The athletes who lit the cauldron were powerlifter Karin Morisaki, wheelchair tennis player Yui Kamiji and boccia player Shunsuke Uchida.

Morisaki, Kamiji and Uchida light the cauldron during the opening ceremony.

Fireworks explode over the National Stadium during the opening ceremony.

Entertainers perform during the opening ceremony, which was held at Tokyo’s National Stadium.

Russian athletes take part in the traditional parade during the opening ceremony. Russian athletes at these Paralympics are officially recognized as members of the Russian Paralympic Committee. That’s because in 2019, the World Anti-Doping Agency banned Russia from all international sporting competitions, including the Olympics, for doping non-compliance. Russian athletes can’t compete under their country’s name, flag and national anthem until December 2022.

Artists perform during the opening ceremony.

The Paralympic and Japanese flags are flown during the opening ceremony. Most of the stadium’s seats were empty.

People perform during the opening ceremony.

Members of Spain’s Paralympic team stop for a selfie during the opening ceremony.

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons waves after arriving for the opening ceremony. On the left is Japan’s Emperor Naruhito.

Health-care workers present the Japanese flag during the opening ceremony. The Paralympics are taking place amid Japan’s worst outbreak of Covid-19.

People take pictures as they watch the fireworks illuminate the sky.