RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — At the 2012 London Paralympics, athletes competed in venues full of spectators who cheered from the first event to the last. Lines for tickets extended out the doors.
"Everybody in the crowd was legitimately excited," said U.S. swimmer Brad Snyder, who won two gold medals in London. "It wasn't production. It wasn't any magic."
London set a new standard for Paralympic attendance and organization. Four years later, concerns over budget problems and slow ticket sales have plagued the Rio Games. The athletes who will march in Wednesday night's opening ceremony at historic Maracana Stadium said their performances won't be affected, and they hope the new, higher profile of the Paralympics won't be either.