a day ago
Paralympics shifted perceptions, but not the living conditions of people with disabilities
"It was extraordinary: the blind football team's victory at the end of the Games against Argentina, with record viewer numbers... I relive that emotion through people who still talk to me about it a year later, and I hope it lasts a long time." Gaël Rivière won gold with the French team in front of a crowd of 11,000 people next to the Eiffel Tower. He has tried to keep the Paralympic spirit alive at the French Federation for Disabled Sports (FFH), where he was elected president in December 2024.
The 4,400 Paralympic athletes who competed in 22 disciplines in Paris from August 28 to September 8, 2024, generated record-breaking viewership. There were 1.3 billion viewers for para swimming events, 1.2 billion for para athletics, and 193.6 million for the closing ceremony. This represents a 40% increase compared to the 2021 Tokyo Games. "No one would have imagined the public's enthusiasm for the Paralympics. It was 'wow' in the stadium, outside, and in the media," said Marc Truffaut, president of the French Federation for Adapted Sports. "From morning to night, you could see and hear people with disabilities playing sports and witness the adaptations they require."
