Sydney back in party mood

The cauldron over Stadium Australia burns brightly once again this morning, this time with the flame of the 11th Paralympic Games. Last night's opening ceremony got 10 days of competition off to a stunning start with the 4,000 athletes receiving the sort of welcome that only Sydney can produce.

Fireworks, flames and, of course, Kylie. This had it all. A sea of nearly 110,000 spectators partied for over three hours as the second biggest sports event in the world got under way.

The honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron, the details of which were shrouded in mystery and guarded upon pain of death in recent days, was bestowed upon Australia's champion wheelchair racer, Louise Sauvage. Sauvage, who remarkably has not been beaten on the track since 1992, is already a household name in Australia and was a popular choice among the delighted crowd.

The Irish team was led into the stadium by Lisa Callaghan, the youngest member of the squad at just 17. The 39-strong squad has high hopes for medals in what seems destined to become the most important Paralympics to date, burying the ghosts of Atlanta. The lessons of four years ago, where a lack of publicity and some poor communications between the organisers of the Olympics and the Paralympics caused problems, have been learned. The Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee, mindful that some might regard the Games as an afterthought coming as it does in the wake of such a successful Olympics, were keen to avoid the mistakes of four years ago and get their message across to the Australian public.

They needn't have worried. It is no exaggeration to say that Aussie's have succumbed to Paralympic fever and are bracing themselves for a breathtaking spectacle. Newspapers, radio and television are dominated by the Games. Images of Sauvage and the Australian gold medal-winning basketball squad beam down from billboards.

Many are unsure of what to expect, but so voracious is the appetite for sport of any description that tickets are being snapped up at a staggering rate. Sure, the opening ceremony was a sell-out, but over 800,000 tickets for the sports themselves have been sold already.

Even at events such as goalball and wheelchair rugby (formerly known as murderball), where the rules may be unclear to some spectators, the stands will not be bare and athletes won't undergo the disappointment of competing in empty venues.

When the flame entered Sydney on Tuesday thousands lined the route as it was relayed by sporting greats such as Dawn Fraser, Kieren Perkins and Steve Waugh.

Once again the response to the call for volunteers to staff the Games has been overwhelming. Over 14,000 Sydneysiders have sacrificed their time to ensure the event runs like clockwork. Given the success of the Olympics, part one of a 60-day sporting marathon, there is no reason to believe it won't.