PARIS: The Paralympics closed on Sunday with a giant music-fueled party as chief Paris 2024 organizer Tony Estanguet said the Games and the Olympics had created a “historic summer.”

The Paralympic flame and cauldron were extinguished before a concert featuring the best of French electronic music capped off proceedings at a packed Stade de France.

More than 4,400 athletes from 168 Paralympic delegations partied despite persistent rain.

Estanguet said the closing ceremony marked the end of six weeks of Olympic and Paralympic fervor in the City of Light.

The former Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist said that period would remain “etched in people’s memories.”

“This summer, France had a date with history, and the country showed up,” he said.

“This summer when people talked to each other, this summer when France was happy,” said Estanguet, referring to how France had been left deeply divided by snap elections just weeks before the Olympics opened.

The next Paralympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028.

In the official handover, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo passed the Paralympic flag to International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons, who gave it to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass.

Broadway star Ali Stoker then sang the American national anthem before a film was shown of a band performing on a Californian beach as skateboarders and wheelchair athletes performed tricks.

Despite initial fears about ticket sales, the Paralympics took place in mainly full stadiums, benefiting from the feelgood factor from the highly successful Olympics which ended on Aug. 11.

Parsons said the Paris Paralympics had shown that “change starts with sport.”

The level of the sport in Paris, the organization and the gender parity of the competitors had set a “benchmark” for future Paralympics, he said.

The hour-long electronic concert was kicked off by composer Victor Le Masne as LED bracelets worn by the crowd and athletes on the field lit up the stadium.

The 24-artist show with highlights including French synthesizer legend Jean-Michel Jarre, Cassius, Busy P and Kungs was rounded off in style by DJ Martin Solveig, who finished his set with 2010 hit “Hello” and then Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”

China finished top of the medals table in Paris, as they have at every Paralympics since Athens in 2004.

They had 94 golds, followed by Britain with 49 and the USA with 36.

Ukraine’s athletes overcame the formidable obstacles posed by their country’s war with Russia to finish in seventh place with 22 golds and host nation France were eighth with 19 golds.

In amputee track athletes Hunter Woodhall and 19-year-old Ezra Frech, the USA have found charismatic faces who are sure to play a prominent role in the buildup to LA2028.

On the final day of competition, Switzerland won both Paralympic wheelchair marathons while the Netherlands secured back-to-back women’s wheelchair basketball titles, denying the USA.

Early in the morning, Catherine Debrunner propelled her racing wheelchair through the streets of Paris to win the women’s marathon.

The 29-year-old Swiss athlete added to the four gold medals she has already won on the track at these Games, ranging from the 400 meters to the 5,000m.

Marcel Hug, 38, made up for a disappointing Games on the track by dominating the men’s wheelchair marathon, finishing three minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Hua Jin of China.

The Netherlands scored a convincing 63-49 win against the USA to retain the women’s wheelchair basketball title they won at Tokyo 2020.

The Americans must wait until 2028 on home soil before trying to win a title that their men secured for a third Games in a row on Saturday. The USA women’s last title came at the 2016 Rio Games.

LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo is showing just why Portugal are persisting with him at the age of 39.

Make that a record-extending 132 international goals for the five-time world player of the year after Ronaldo came on as a halftime substitute and slotted home an 88th-minute winner for Portugal in their 2-1 victory over Scotland in the Nations League on Sunday.

Minutes earlier, Ronaldo had struck both posts within a matter of seconds. Indeed, he was an ever-present danger in Lisbon, demonstrating he is far from finished as a force in international soccer — especially against the likes of a struggling Scotland.

Ronaldo failed to score at all in five games at the recent European Championship, but Portugal coach Robert Martinez has kept faith with the country’s greatest ever player and is reaping the rewards.

On Thursday, Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal — spanning games for club and country — in a 2-1 win over Croatia.

The quest for 1,000 began three days later and he didn’t disappoint, despite only playing one half.

In stoppage time, a spectator got on the field and attempted to get a selfie with Ronaldo, but was stopped by security. That happened repeatedly at Euro 2024.

Scotland went ahead through Scott McTominay in the seventh minute before an equalizer from the edge of the area by Bruno Fernandes in the 54th.

Enduring Modric

Luka Modric turns 39 on Monday but, like Ronaldo, remains as integral as ever for his country.

The Real Madrid midfielder again demonstrated his enduring quality by clipping home an exquisite free kick from the edge of the box in Croatia’s 1-0 win over Poland.

It was Modric’s 27th goal in 180 appearances for his country, which left him tied with former Spain defender Sergio Ramos as the second highest-capped European players in men’s international soccer — only behind Ronaldo with 214.

Robert Lewandowski, another veteran at age 36, hit the goal frame for Poland, who beat Scotland 3-2 in the first round of Nations League group games on Thursday.

Ruiz shines for Spain

Fabian Ruiz scored twice for Spain in their 4-1 win at Switzerland, with the recently crowned European champions emerging victorious despite playing the majority of the game with only 10 men.

Center back Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card in the 20th minute for bringing down Breel Embolo as the last man, by which time Spain was leading 2-0 thanks to Joselu’s header from Lamine Yamal’s cross in the fourth minute and Ruiz’s goal in the 13th after Nico Williams’ shot was saved.

Zeki Amdouni pulled a goal back for the Swiss before halftime but substitute Ferran Torres set up Ruiz for his second goal then scored himself to clinch Spain’s first win of its Nations League title defense. The team drew 0-0 at Serbia on Thursday.

Eriksson tribute

Swedish soccer fans paid tribute to one of the country’s most famous coaches — and then celebrated the further blossoming of the team’s new strikeforce.

There was a minute’s silence before Sweden’s home match with Estonia in honor of Sven-Goran Eriksson, who died on Aug. 26 after battling cancer. An image of Eriksson was shown on the big screens in the Strawberry Arena just outside Stockholm.

Sweden won 3-0, with Viktor Gyokeres — with two goals — and Alexander Isak scoring. They also each scored in a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan on Thursday, with the Swedes showing improved form after missing out on qualification for both the World Cup in 2022 and this year’s Euros.

There was another Scandinavian win as Denmark beat Serbia 2-0 thanks to goals by Albert Gronbaek and Yussuf Poulsen.