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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Powerlifting star Majid Farzin walked to the platform to roaring applause. Then, complete silence as he attempted his lift.Three white lights clicked on, signaling it was good, and the crowd erupted in cheers again, this time even louder. A sea of yellow and green rose to its feet, chanting and waving Brazilian flags.But heres the thing: Farzin isnt Brazilian. Hes Iranian.Welcome to the 2016 Paralympics, where the residents of Rio de Janeiro have shown people from all across the world their Carioca spirit. Cariocas are the Rio natives, known for their warmth, friendliness and laid-back attitude.Before the games began a week ago, organizers from the International Paralympic Committee were just happy that -- after a furious ticket-selling campaign and a price drop to as low as about $3 per ticket -- the Rio games seemed likely to surpass sales of 1.7 million, moving this Paralympics into second place behind London in terms of spectators (2.7 million).But as of Wednesday, the IPC said sales were over the 2 million mark. The sports festival for people with disabilities ends Sunday.We have to generate energy (at the games), so therefore, we wanted to bring the public on board and have them provide energy, because in both games we started kind of with an obligation to sell more tickets, said Mario Andrada, spokesman for the local organizing committee.Its not just that people are coming out to Olympic Park on the edge of Rio. Its who is attending -- local Brazilian fans, many of them families and couples, enjoying a day out in a country where roughly a fifth of the population is below the poverty line.I wasnt able to take my family to the Olympics because it was too expensive, but we grabbed the chance to see the Paralympics because the price of the tickets was so much lower, said a 42-year-old Rio resident who only gave his name as Marco, attending the games with his wife and three daughters. Im really glad to be part of this, especially being able to bring my whole family. Its a really unique moment and well probably never have this opportunity again.Once inside a venue, the Brazilians have been both gracious and enthusiastic.So, when Denmarks Ebbe Blichfeldt got lapped and finished last in his heat of a 5,000-meter wheelchair race last Friday, the crowd gave him a huge ovation down the final straightaway.Tharon Drake, a blind American swimmer who has won two silver medals in Rio, said the fans pumped up his performances.The atmosphere at this pool is outrageous. It is the best atmosphere I have ever been in, he said. You walk out to these guys, they dont care what country youre from. They just need a reason to start screaming and acting crazy, and I love it.Guilherme Vieira, 24, who was able to attend both the Olympics and the Paralympics, noticed the difference.The fans at the Paralympic Games have been a lot more intense. We Brazilians cheer for everyone, from every country because we want all of them to excel at their competitions, he said. Were so happy to see everyone from other countries and not everyone in the world is like that, but thats the Carioca spirit.Vieira explained it this way.The cheering from Brazilians is just what Brazilians do here and people from outside of Brazil that are here have to adapt to Brazilian culture, he said. I cheer for different countries because I dont like seeing anyone lose.---Nicole Barros is a journalism student at Penn State University. Penn State and Georgia are partnering with The Associated Press to supplement coverage of the 2016 Paralympics. Swell Bottle Sale 17 Oz . - Oakland Raiders running back Rashad Jennings was speaking to a group of local high school students earlier this week when the conversation turned to the importance of being prepared when opportunities in life arise. Liberty Swell Bottle Uk . The team said Saturday that Lopez was hurt during its 121-120 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The Nets said they would issue another update next week after consultation with their doctors. http://www.swellbottleuk.com/ . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Liberty London sWell Bottle . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Swell Marble Bottle Uk . Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury. YAS MARINA, Abu Dhabi -- Nico Rosberg said it felt special to beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2016 world drivers championship as his Mercedes teammate and old friend is one of the best in history.Rosberg clinched his maiden crown in a tense finale at Yas Marina as Hamilton backed the German into the chasing Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. A faultless drive from Rosberg meant he narrowly stayed in front of the pair to secure the championship by five points.Much has been made of Rosberg and Hamiltons history together, with their careers linked back to their days as karting teammates. Having lost the 2014 and 2015 championships to Hamilton, Rosberg said it felt good to finally overcome the three-time world champion for a title of his own.?It feels like Ive been racing him forever, Hamilton said. Hes just managed to edge me out and get the title even when we were small in go-karts. Hes an amazing driver and one of the best in history, so its special to beat him because the level is so high and that makes it so much more satisfying for me. He drove extremely high level, hes done some incredible racing, so hes been a very tough competitor.ddddddddddddRosberg claimed the title in fine style, passing Max Verstappen with a fantastic wheel-to-wheel overtake in the second stint which turned out to be crucial to his race, before staying calm under incredible pressure in the closing stages. Reflecting on his race and championship, Rosberg confessed it was one of the hardestof his career.The feeling is out there. The battle with Max ... unreal. I hope I dont experience that again anytime soon. The same again at the end with the pressure on from behind with Lewis driving slow out, it was a tough one.It was crazy. The thing is it was so intense the race, its still going to take some time to settle in and come out because it was really intense out there and so tough in the end. Those last couple of laps with those two guys, if I drop behind then its over so not enjoyable. ' ' '