[2][3] Four new events were introduced to the Paralympics in Athens; 5-a-side football for the blind, quads wheelchair tennis, and women's competitions in judo and sitting volleyball.

Following a scandal at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, in which the Spanish intellectually-disabled basketball team was stripped of their gold medal after it was found that multiple players had not met the eligibility requirements, ID-class events were suspended.

The Greek capital had lost its bid to organize the 1996 Summer Olympics to the American city of Atlanta nearly seven years before, during the 96th IOC Session in Tokyo, Japan on 18 September 1990.

[11] The same torch design used for the Olympics was used for the Paralympic Games.The flame was lit in a ritual carried out at dusk on September 9, 2004, in the Temple of Hephaestus, at the foot of the Acropolis and resulted in the fire raised from a forge and a reenactment of one of the founding myths of the city of Athens.The first torchbearer was the swimmer Kostantinos Fykas who won 2 gold medals in Sydney, 4 years earlier and 1 silver in Atlanta.The relay took it throughout Athens metropolitan area,and its route wanted to contrast with that of the Olympic torch, by demonstrating the modern side of Greece,passing through 54 municipalities and covering a distance of 410 km.

680 torchbearers shared its light and the values of strength, pursuit and noble competition.The journey begun from the heart of Athens, in Thiseio.

[16] The plane is an important part of the literary scenery of Plato's dialogue Phaedrus and group of children raised lights to the sky in a visualization of Hippocrates passing on knowledge to future generations,alluding to the father of medicine Hippocrates.It was followed by a unique performance of ancient Greek philosophic concept of basic elements-fire, water, earth and air, in a concept based "a journey to the sun".The formal part of the ceremony began with the Hymn to Liberty sung by the Games ambassador, the Greek singer Vicky Leandros.

Afterwards, the Parade of Nations started and was accompanied by the music of French composers Yves Stepping and Jean Christophe.

The music featured throughout this parade told the story of Hephaestos, a Greek god and son of Zeus and Hera.

Being unusually small, he was cast from Mount Olympus and left to die by his mother, but was nursed back to health by Thetis and Eurynome, who also taught him how to work a foundry.

The children were from ages 8 to 17, coming from Australia, France, Spain, Greece and Germany.The actors Afroditi Simiti, Giannis Zouganelis and the interpreter Sophia Roboli were the Masters of Ceremonies.At the end of the ceremony, Greek tenor Mario Frangoulis performed alongside Kalli Georgelli a special song composed to the event.

Recognising and cultivating your unique abilities and mastering challenges – you set standards and give expression for many people, young and old, around the world."

The traditional cultural display was removed from the ceremony as a mark of respect for the deaths of seven teenagers from Farkadona, travelling to Athens, whose bus collided with a truck near the town of Kamena Vourla.

In contrast with the formal nature of the opening ceremony, the athletes entered the stadium for the final time as a collective.

A procession of young people then made their way to join the athletes in the centre of the stadium carrying paper lanterns, before the Paralympic flame was extinguished.

[26] Following a scandal at the 2000 Summer Paralympics, in which the Spanish intellectually-disabled basketball team was stripped of their gold medal after it was found that multiple players had not met the eligibility requirements, ID-class events were suspended.