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RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Paralympic Games opened Wednesday with 4,350 athletes demonstrating first-hand their creed: The heart knows no limits; everybody has a heart.Wheelchair daredevil Aaron Wheelz showed the spirit in the opening act.As a countdown from 10 reached its end, Wheelz raced down a giant ramp and somersaulted in the air through a giant 0 on the stadium floor. That finished the countdown and shattered more stereotypes about what athletes with disabilities can do.The president of the International Paralympic Committee, Philip Craven, made a similar point with his speech. Craven, who lost the use of his legs in a rock-climbing fall at the age of 16, reminded Brazilians they have their own problems to overcome.Craven suggested Brazilians follow the lead of Paralympians.In a country which has faced major challenges of late, Paralympians will switch your focus from perceived limitations -- to a world full of possibility and endless opportunity, Craven said. They will surprise you, inspire and excite you, but most of all they will change you.Brazil is mired in its worst recession in generations. The country just removed its elected president, and these games needed a government bailout of almost $80 million to make it to the starting line.Craven also used the theme of inclusion, topical in a country often separated by the rich and poor, and black and white; a country with few provisions for wheelchairs or anyone with an impairment.Show the world that there is no them, there is only us, Craven told the capacity crowd at the opener. A world where people of all abilities, races, nationalities and sexualities can come together as one. We are all part of one world.The symbolic cauldron was lit by Brazilian swimmer and wheelchair user Clodoaldo Silva as rain fell. The six-time gold medalist faced a flight of stairs and looked perplexed about what to do next. The staircase then opened, exposing a ramp leading to the cauldron. Problem solved.Silva received the torch after a number of athletes carried it in the stadium. Among them was former Brazilian Paralympic medalist Marcia Malsar, who wobbled and fell over backward as she carried the torch across floor with aid of a cane. Malsar got back up, with some assistance, and finished her roughly 30-meter section of the relay in an effort warmly acknowledged by the crowd.The show featured a tribute to the wheel, to Brazils swirling samba rhythms, and to the beach -- a ritual gathering spot in Rio. And there was the cast applauding an imaginary sunset, another ritual in this beach town.The show also saluted Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias, the countrys most decorated Paralympian with 10 gold medals -- and surely more to come in Rio.Organizers say tickets sales have been booming. Only 200,000 were sold a few weeks ago, but theyve now sold 1.6 million. The goal is 2.4 million. This is partly a result of the reasonable prices for many tickets, only 10 Brazilian reals ($3).A notable absentee was International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.The IOC chief said he had to miss the ceremony to attend a state mourning ceremony in Germany for Walter Scheel, the former West Germany president.Craven told reporters its the first time since Salt Lake City in 2002 that an IOC president had missed a Paralympic opening.Patrick Hickey, a high-ranking IOC member from Ireland, was among 10 people charged by Brazilian prosecutors on Tuesday with ticket scalping, conspiracy and ambush marketing related to last months Olympics.Police investigators said they wanted to speak with Bach about email exchanges he had with Hickey related to ticket allocations for Ireland. Police had planned to summon Bach if he came for the opening ceremony, though there is no evidence he knew about the ticket scam.Also missing were 267 Russian athletes who were banned because of alleged state-sponsored doping. Officials say 159 nations were entered on Wednesday, and in addition a refugee team.Rio 2016 organizing committee chairman Carlos Arthur Nuzman, Craven and -- loudest of all Brazil President Michel Temer -- were jeered. Nuzman and Craven when they thanked the Brazil government.Temer opened the games officially and, as he was in the Olympics when he was only the acting president, was jeered by fans chanting Fora Temer -- Out Temer.Temer took over as president after Dilma Rousseff was removed from office on impeachment charges a week ago by the federal senate.---Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/stephen-wade Steph Curry Shoes From China . Defencemen Drew Doughty, Shea Weber and forward Ryan Getzlaf also scored for the Canadians, who started their gold-medal defence 2-0. Goalie Roberto Luongo, getting the call in place of Game 1 starter Carey Price, was solid when needed in making 23 saves for the shutout. Wholesale Steph Curry Shoes . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. https://www.stephencurryshoescheap.com/ . -- Teemu Selanne scored the first goal of his 22nd NHL season, and the Anaheim Ducks extended the best start in franchise history with their fifth straight victory, 3-2 over the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Steph Curry Shoes Free Shipping . Philadelphia is 2-0 against the Senators this season and scored five goals in each victory. The Flyers recorded a 5-0 win in Ottawa on Nov. 12 and then earned a 5-2 home decision on Nov. 19. The Flyers have claimed three straight and four of the last five encounters with the Sens overall and Philly has won two in a row and three of its past four tests in Canadas capital city. Clearance Steph Curry Shoes . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. LeBron James misses the Olympic stage.The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, who decided to skip his fourth Olympics after leading the Cavs to an NBA title in June, said in an interview with ESPNs Rachel Nichols that he is keeping an eye on his teammates at the Rio Games.Every time I watch em, I wish I was out there, James said in the interview, portions of which will debut Thursday on ABCs Good Morning America and air subsequently during editions of ESPNs SportsCenter. I did not retire from Team USA. I just did not play this summer. So I still left the door open.The full interview with James will air Sunday on ESPN.Team USA advanced to the Rio semifinals with a 105-78 win Wednesday over Argentina.James joined USA Basketball for the 2004 Games in Athens, where the Americans lost their opener to Puerto Rico, dropped two more games and settled for bronze. He returned on the 2008 Redeem Team and won gold in Beijing and captured another gold medal four years ago in London.After leading the Cavs to a historic comeback against the?Golden State Warriors?in June, James said he needed rest and would?not play in Brazil. If he decides to return to the national team, he would be 35 at the 2020 Tokyo Games.James also addressed the call for social change he delivered at last months ESPYS with Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony.We wanted to start off the show with something that meant something, you know, that really was true to our hearts, and let our fellow athletes know where we stand, he said.He also talked about his work with the LeBron James Family Foundation and why building something in the Akron, Ohiio, community where he grew up is so important to him.ddddddddddddIm similar to these kids in every way, every way, shape or fashion, he said. I walk the same roads as these kids. I breathe the same air as these kids. You know, I understand what theyre going through, growing up in an inner city and having people just -- basically forget them. Like, theres no way theyre gonna make it. I had days where I just felt like it was just me and Mom, you know, and no one cared, and theres no way that were gonna be able to make it outta this.I definitely couldve been a statistic. I mean, I grew up in a single-parent household. My mother was 16 when she had me. I grew up in the inner city, where theres a lot of violence.James, who signed a three-year, $100 million deal with the Cavs last week, said in an online interview that he would be interested in NBA ownership when his playing days are over.I feel like my brain, as far as the game of basketball, is unique, James said on Open Run, a new podcast that is part of the Uninterrupted media platform he co-founded. I would love to continue to give my knowledge to the game. I would love to be a part of a franchise -- if not at the top. My dream is to actually own a team. If Im fortunate enough to own a team, then Im going to hire the best GM and president that I can. But I feel like I got a good eye for not only talent, because we all see a lot of talent, but the things that make the talent.The Associated Press contributed to this report. ' ' '