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Sep 5, 2021 - Sports

In photos: Tokyo Paralympics closing ceremony

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The Paralympic Flame is seen during the Closing Ceremony on day 12 of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Flame is seen during the closing ceremony on Day 12 of the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Photo: Koki Nagahama/Getty Images

More than a year after they were supposed to begin, the Tokyo Paralympic Games drew to an end with a closing ceremony on Sunday, with five-time Paralympian Matt Scott serving as the U.S. flagbearer for the event.

Why it matters: The Games, which began in Japan amid COVID state of emergency, closed Sunday in front of a largely empty Olympic Stadium.

Worth noting: The tournament featured a historic number of publicly out LGBTQ athletes, with at least 29 competing this year.

  • It also marked the Paralympic debut of badminton and taekwondo.

The big picture: China's 96 gold medals topped the competition, with Great Britain and the U.S. coming next with 41 and 37, respectively.

In photos

The closing ceremony of the Paralympic Summer Games.
The closing ceremony of the Paralympic Summer Games. Photo: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
he flags of the participating countries are seen at the closing ceremony of the Summer Paralympic Games.
The flags of the participating countries are seen at the closing ceremony of the Summer Paralympic Games. Photo: Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/picture alliance via Getty Images
Matt Scott flagbearer of Team USA during the Closing Ceremony of this year's Games.
Matt Scott, flagbearer of Team USA during the closing ceremony of this year's Games. Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
The national flag of Japan is carried into the stadium during the closing ceremony.
The national flag of Japan is carried into the stadium during the closing ceremony. Photo: Koki Nagahama/Getty Images
Fireworks light up the sky above the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony.
Fireworks light up the sky above the Olympic Stadium during the closing ceremony. Photo: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP via Getty Images.
The Japanese (r) and Paralympic flags are raised at the Closing Ceremony
The Japanese and Paralympic flags are raised at the closing ceremony. Photo: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance via Getty Images
Entertainers perform during the Closing Ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics.
Entertainers perform during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Paralympics on Sept. 5. Photo: Alex Pantling/Getty Images
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