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'Phenomenal' Biggest Games ever as ticket sales pass one million mark
SYDNEY, Austrlia (AP) -- Ticket sales for the Sydney Paralympics have broken the one million barrier, stamping Sydney 2000 again as the biggest Paralympics on record. The sales figures announced Monday by organizers hit 1,005,000, which is more than double the estimated 500,000 tickets sold for the Atlanta Paralympics four years ago. The opening ceremony was a sellout last Wednesday, with more than 92,000 spectators braving cold and wet conditions to join the party at Stadium Australia, which was also main venue for the September 15-October 1 Olympics. Sydney has already attracted more athletes and competing nations than ever before and is providing 18 sports, which is more than any of the previous 10 Paralympic Summer Games. Almost 4,000 athletes from 121 nations have checked into the Paralympic Village. Atlanta attracted 103 nations. More than 60,000 school students flocked into Sydney Olympic Park on Monday, a fraction of the 320,000 children organizers expect to attend before the October 29 closing ceremony. "We are absolutely delighted," Paralympic Organizing Committee spokeswoman Jane West said of the ticket sales. "It's a phenomenal level of support being shown by the Australian community." "We've certainly gone beyond our ticketed budget of figures, which is great, but with tickets being so low-priced, it's not considerable." Organizers are selling day passes, which allow access to all venues, for 15 Australian dollars (US$8). More than 88,500 spectators flowed into Sydney Olympic Park on Sunday, the biggest attendance for any competition day to date.
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