Team France Achieves Historic Success at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, held from August 28 to September 8, 2024, marked a significant achievement for Team France, which concluded the event with a total of 75 medals, including 19 gold. This accomplishment allowed the French delegation to fulfill its objective of placing among the top eight nations in the medal standings, underscoring a promising trajectory for French Paralympic sports as preparations begin for the upcoming Los Angeles Games in 2028.
Claude Onesta, High Performance Manager at the French National Sports Agency, publicly conveyed his immense pride in the team’s performance. This year’s results reflect a notable improvement over previous editions, as France tripled its medal tally since the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and doubled its gold medal count. President of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee, Marie-Amélie Le Fur, echoed this sentiment, expressing satisfaction with the results that align with the ambitious goals set for the event.
Among the sports that significantly contributed to this success, para-cycling emerged as a particular highlight, providing nearly 40% of the podium finishes for France. Additionally, para-sport and para-swimming also produced commendable results. Nevertheless, there remain areas for improvement, especially in disciplines such as table tennis, judo, and fencing, where France holds considerable potential yet did not meet expectations regarding medal acquisition.
Looking ahead, the aspirations for the Los Angeles 2028 Games are distinctly articulated: the goal is to enhance the conversion of overall medal counts into gold medals. The resigning Minister for Sport, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, has remarked that France should glean insights from the Netherlands, which achieved 55 medals, including 26 gold. This strategic approach is deemed essential for France to bolster its standing among the leading Paralympic nations and to enhance its performances in team sports—exemplified by the noteworthy success of the cecifoot team, which celebrated a gold medal victory. The expectation is set, and the countdown to the Los Angeles Games begins now.
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