January 20, 2011

The 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships Opening Ceremony takes place on Friday 21st January at Cathedral Square.

This will be the single event that introduces the Championships, the city of Christchurch as host, and the special messages and the people that define this special time in Paralympic sport.

The parade will begin at the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Worcester Street and conclude in Cathedral Square, Christchurch City Centre.
A highlight of the Opening Ceremony is the Athletes’ Parade where athletes and team officials will parade as a delegation, wearing their formal attire and led by their nation’s flag.

Teams will meet at the Cambridge Terrace assembly point at 11:15am, dressed in their team’s formal attire.. The countries will parade be in alphabetical order and will have a flag bearer with New Zealand, as host nation, being the last team to arrive into the Square. The parade will commence at 12:00 noonpm with athletes being lead by a brass band into Cathedral Square.

The official programme is:
11:45 Official start of Ceremony 11:45 Entrance and raising of New Zealand flag and playing of the New Zealand Anthem 12:00 Athletes parade and enter Cathedral Square 12:30 Powhiri – Māori Welcome 12:45 Official Speeches 12:56 Paralympic Flag enters 12:59 Raising of the Paralympic flag and playing of the Paralympic anthem 13:03 Athletes Oath and Officials Oath 13:10 Official end of Ceremony