Published on : 05/09/2021 – 10:22
The French Paralympic team leaves Tokyo with a higher number of medals than five years ago in Rio. The Habs won 11 gold, 15 silver and 28 bronze medals. They finish in 14th place in the world. A good omen in the perspective of Paris 2024 where it will be necessary to shine at home.
From our special correspondent in Tokyo,
« The contract is fulfilled. Now we have the ambition to have 60 medals in Paris and more in gold “, Advance Jean Minier, head of mission of the France team, while the Blues return with 54 medals including 11 gold.
The French dream of imitating the British who shone in 2012 at home (120 medals and 34 gold). The ambition of Paris 2024 is to ” offer the most beautiful showcase At the Paralympic Games, assured the president of the organizing committee for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tony Estanguet, during his recent visit to Tokyo. The former three-time Olympic gold medalist kayaker was “ Mark By the success of the British. For Great Britain, for twenty years, bad Paralympics, it’s a third place on the medal table and it only happened once.
Imitate Great Britain
At the 2012 Paralympic Games, athletes were also marked by the number of spectators in the competition venues. “ I ran in front of 80,000 people at the Olympic stadium, it was very impressive », Told us a few days ago the French Trésor Gauthier Makunda who left Japan with a bronze medal around his neck. In Paris, the public in the stadiums can certainly change the situation.
One of the specificities of the British model lies in the integration of disabled practitioners within the Federations of each discipline. Since a decree of December 31, 2016, France has followed suit. After the first thirteen Federations having received the delegation for people with physical and sensory disabilities, there are sixteen since 2020.
The cyclist François Pervis who joined paracycling within the Handisport Federation by joining forces in tandem from Raphaël Beaugillet praises the British model. ” They consider the disabled sport at the same height as that of the able-bodied, he said. They share the training slots at the national velodrome. We if we ask, we will laugh in our face. »
Looking for new talents
« There are satisfactions, some disappointments, but no disappointments. We are on the way to the success of Paris 2024 ”, says Stéphane Lelong, in charge of table tennis for the disabled sports federation as a technical and sports advisor since September 2016 (CTS of the Ministry of Sports). ” We hope that all the bronze medals won by the French delegation will turn into gold in three years, he adds. We are now on improving the details rather than in a fundamental revolution. With the prospect of Paris 2024, France had put in place means. And the good results of Tokyo prove that we are on the way to the success of Paris ».
For Stéphane Lelong, the media coverage of Rio 2016 had already made it possible to see young people arriving. “ They will be there for Los Angeles in 2028 or Brisbane in 2032 He says. According to Stéphane Lelong, it takes around 10 years to make a good para table tennis player.
Three years before the Paris Games, it is the virtual absence of succession in certain disciplines that can worry. For example, para badminton has only 200 practitioners. The sounding board offered by the Tokyo Games could attract new candidates.
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