King Baudouin Stadium and King Philippe enjoy Olympic and Paralympic Parade

The Allianz Memorial Van Damme opening ceremony on Friday was dedicated to the Belgian athletes who shone for Belgium at the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The King Baudouin Stadium and King Philippe thanked them with an enormous applause and standing ovation.

Some eighty Paris Olympic and Paralympic heroes made their entrance to the King Baudouin Stadium to the tones of the Belgian Olympic anthem ‘Victory’ – sung live by Daan.

They included Olympic and Paralympic Champions Nafi Thiam, Léa Bayekula, Maxime Carabin, Michèle George and Laurens Devos, silver winner Bashir Abdi, Peter Genyn and Maxime Hordies and bronze winner Noor Vidts.

Gymnast Nina Derwael, rower Tim Brys, Belgian Cat Antonia Delaere, Red Panther Aisling D’Hooghe, Red Lion Nelson Onana, sailor Emma Plasschaert, boxer Oshin Derieuw, cyclist Justine Ghekiere, swimmer Roos Vanotterdijk, … and many more enjoyed their lap of honour.

This was followed by a short ceremony for the athletes who reached a top 8 place in Paris who received their Olympic bonus, donated by the National Lottery.