RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Paralympics leadership hoped Rio de Janeiro would build on the success of London. Instead, its about limiting any damage.When the curtain comes up for 4,300 athletes at Wednesdays opening ceremony, almost everything will be scaled back: venues, seating, and staffing. Paralympic officials say that no sports or nations have been cut out, but the athlete experience could suffer.Only a last-minute Brazilian government bailout has helped save the event from a shortfall in the local, privately funded operating budget.This is the worst situation that weve ever found ourselves in at Paralympic movement, Philip Craven, the president of the International Paralympic Committee, told The Associated Press. We were aware of difficulties, but we werent aware it was as critical as this.Rio organizers limped through the troubled Olympics, buffeted by empty seats, green water in swimming pools, and the absence of an Olympic feel. Behind the scenes there were no-show volunteers, street crime and traffic chaos.Craven said hes been assured there are sufficient resources to put on a very good games.Heres a look at the Sept. 7-18 Paralympics featuring athletes from 161 nations, and an added refugee team:---FINANCINGThe Rio Olympic organizing committee promised to use only private money in its 7.4 billion real ($2.3 billion) operating budget. But Craven said local organizers didnt tell him until about 5 1/2 weeks ago that there was no money left to run the Paralympics.They blamed it on slow ticket and sponsorship sales, and the rising cost to run the Olympics.Thats been a problem with the organizing committee -- not knowing information, Craven said.To salvage the event, the Rio city government came up with 150 million reals ($46.3 million) in financing, and the federal government has guaranteed another 100 million reals ($30.7 million). This comes in the form of sponsorships from three state-run entities including the scandal-plagued oil company Petrobras.A local prosecutor argued unsuccessfully that the privately-run organizing committee needed to open its books to justify the government bailout.The influx of public money is still less than half of the $170 million that Rio organizers promised for Paralympic funding in their 2009 bid to the International Olympic Committee.The bailout comes as Rio hospitals are understaffed, and some school classes have been suspended because teachers are staying away to protest delayed payments.The Brazilian newspaper Estadao reported last month that the top eight executives of the Rio organizing committee were each paid an average of $25,000 per month in 2015.International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach flatly denied public money was being used to patch up the local budget.There is no public money in the organization of these Olympic Games, Bach said the day before the Olympics closed -- and a day after the city hall financing was announced. The budget of the organizing committee is privately financed. There is no public funding for this.---NO SPORTS CUTParalympic organizers say there have been no cuts to the sports, all will be contested as planned, and no delegations were forced to drop out.All the teams will be here, Craven said.All of Russias disabled athletes have been banned from the Paralympics for alleged involvement in Russias doping scandal. The ruling was upheld by the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.Paralympic organizers originally planned for 4,350 athletes. Paralympic spokesman Craig Spence said all of the 267 slots allotted to Russian athletes could not be filled, dropping the athlete total to 4,300.He said athletes were ring-fenced from the cuts, but acknowledged theyll still feel them.The service levels will be the same, but probably the athlete experience compared to previous games will suffer a little bit, Spence said.---TICKETSOrganizers hope to sell just over 2 million of the 2.5 million tickets available. Tickets are priced at 10 reals ($3), with some fans buying tickets as a cheap way to see the Olympic Park with no guarantee they will actually attend a sports events.Organizers say sales have soared in the last two weeks with sales best for track and field, swimming, wheelchair basketball, five-a-side football, and seated volleyball.Most of the events will be held in the Olympic Park in suburban Barra da Tijuca. The second Olympic cluster in Deodoro has been scaled back and will host only three sports -- shooting, seven-player football and equestrian events. Wheelchair fencing has been moved from Deodoro to the Olympic Park.Paralympic officials say if 1.8 million are sold it would be the second-best selling Paralympics after London four years ago. Beijing eight years ago drew 3.3 million, but only 1.7 million tickets were sold.There are not going to be empty stadiums, Craven said. Dont worry about it.---SOME STARSHere are some to watch .Two visually impaired athletes -- Jason Smyth of Ireland and Omara Durand of Cuba -- are likely to be the fastest man and woman over 100 meters. American Tatyana McFadden is hoping to become the first track and field athlete to win seven golds at one Paralympic Games. 74-year-old Libby Kosmala of Australia is competing in her 12th Paralympics; Jonas Jacobsson, 51, of Sweden in his 10th -- both in shooting. Siamand Rahman of Iran will try to become the first Paralympian to lift 300 kilos in powerlifting. Zahra Nemati, who was the flagbearer for Iran in the Rio Olympics, is the first Iranian woman to win gold in either the Olympics or Paralympics -- she won gold in archery in Londons Paralympics. Brazilian swimmer Daniel Dias, who is seen as the Michael Phelps of the Paralympics, won four gold medals in Beijing and six in London, where he also set four world records. American Matt Stutzman is an armless archer who holds a world record for long-distance accuracy.---Stephen Wade on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/stephen-wade cheap nba jerseys . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. cheap nike nfl jerseys . -- When the Florida Panthers fell behind by two goals in the first period to the top team in the NHL, it appeared they were on their way to yet another loss. http://www.nfljerseyschinashop.com/ . Emery skated the length of the ice and fought an unwilling Holtby during the third period of the Flyers 7-0 loss Friday night in Philadelphia. He was given 29 penalty minutes, including a game misconduct. But Emery did not face even a disciplinary hearing with NHL senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan because rules 46. authentic cheap jerseys . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. cheap jerseys free shipping . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. As Rudy returns to the race where he made his name, a second Villiers Stakes win would also take Helen Page level with John Hawkes as the most successful current trainer in the race.While the legendary TJ Smiths benchmark of seven Villiers wins appears insurmountable, the Gold Coast-based Page can join Hawkes with three wins, the most of any active trainer.Rudy will arrive in Sydney in the early hours of Friday aiming to repeat his 2014 win in Saturdays Group Two race at Randwick over 1600m.Page also won the Villiers in 1989 with Spot The Rock when her stables were at Warwick Farm.Hes been very successful at a mile and hes won this race before, Page said.Ive targeted it this year.Rudy didnt contest last years Villiers after three unsuccessful starts during Melbourne spring carnival.But Page has re-focused on Sydneys summer showpiece, priming Rudy for the race with two hit-outs in Brisbane.He finished fifth in an open handicap over 1350m on the Sunshine Coast on November 16 and fourth in the Listed Recognition Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on November 26, carrying big weights both times.Im pleased he didnt get any more weight by running places, Page said.Hes run a couple of nice races coming into it and hes doing very well.ddddddddddddRandwick was in the soft range on Thursday with up to 15mm of rain forecast for Sydney on Friday and showers expected on race day.The track was soft when Rudy scored a narrow win two years ago and he has an imposing record in heavy going with four wins and a second from six starts.He loves the wet but he likes it any way so hes a handy horse to have, Page said.Rudy is a $21 chance to win his second Villiers, the same price as Malice who would also put trainer John OShea on level terms with Hawkes.Fabrizio has been the dominant favourite since markets opened and is at $3.20 to win the race for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.The Ciaron Maher-trained Hazzabeel is at $8 after a narrow defeat in the Group Three Festival Stakes at Rosehill on December 3.There isnt just the carrot of an automatic entry into the Doncaster Mile up for grabs with Rudy likely to be one of the horses attempting to collect the $100,000 bonus for winning the Villiers and the Bernborough Handicap in Brisbane on New Years Eve. 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