The Paralympic Games opening ceremony de Tokyo takes place this Tuesday, August 24 at 1 p.m. French time. Three disabled athletes from Indre-et-Loire participate: Clement Berthier who trains at TT Joué-lès-Tours in table tennis, Eric Pereira of the Club des Archers de Saint Avertin in archery and Typhaine Sale from the A3 Tours athletics club in the long jump.
Marie-Amélie Le Fur, Loir-et-Cher, is the greatest local chance of a medal. She will participate in the night of Friday 27th to Saturday 28th August in the same long jump competition as Typhaine Soldé. This will be the last competition of her career for the 32-year-old, already three-time Paralympic champion and eight-time Games medalists.
“I intend to be present to defend my title, to end my career with the most beautiful of victories, with a world record – Marie-Amélie Le Fur”
On the other hand, his entourage could not make the trip, Covid-19 obliges. It is a sadness for the disabled athlete: “If the medals are so beautiful, it’s because I see joy in the eyes of those close to me.” After her competition, Marie-Amélie Le Fur will stay in Japan with a second cap, that of president of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee.
“An ascending slope”
For her, “the Tokyo Games are important to prepare for the future of the Paralympic movement, it is also an ability to obtain an aura as part of Paris 2024 “. According to Marie-Amélie Le Fur, the disabled sport movement “is on an upward slope, there are more and more structures opening up, but I would like there to be a boost with the Paris 2024 Games”.
Through the media coverage of the Paralympic Games, the French Paralympic and Sports Committee hopes to change views on disability. “We have a long way to go in the evolution of mentalities, too many people still think that it is too complicated to welcome a person with a disability”, considers Marie-Amélie Le Fur.
– Chadi Yahya
Among the existing structures, there is the Regional athletics center for disabled sports hosted by A3 Tours, which includes Paralympic athlete Typhaine Soldé. Originally, the A3 Tours had a disabled sports section, then “we were asked to create a pole”, explains Guy Bessay, president of the athletics club. It was quite natural that he accepted, he specifies: “It made sense to us as part of this goal of allowing everyone to practice athletics.”
