Paris Paralympic mascot Phryge adds sparkle to pre-Games event

PARIS — Paralympic Phryge, the official mascot of the Paris Paralympic Games, thrilled spectators by dancing with a prosthetic leg during a pre-Games event on Sunday, ahead of the start of the Games on Wednesday.

The Phrygian was at the event venue, an ancient amphitheater in the French capital. The mascot took pictures with spectators, including tourists and people with children, and danced to the music. The mascots of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games are modeled on the Phrygian caps, a symbol of freedom worn by apostles of the French Revolution. The Paralympic version wears a running knife on its right leg.