The paralympic Games and the challenge of inclusivity

Politique Internationale — What criteria will be used to judge the success of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games?

Marie-Amélie Le Fur — There are two distinct parts to it. The first is linked to the success of the Games as a whole, the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. The visibility, the popularity of the event, its media coverage and the French athletes’ performance are the criteria to be taken into account here. The outlook that Paris will present to the whole world comes into this category. This city is a setting with iconic sites, and the reflection of this setting will count for a lot in the way Paris 2024 is received.

The second part lies in the legacy that these Paralympic Games will leave. Will we see an increase in the practice of sport for people with disabilities? Will all types of disabilities be included? Will views change of these athletes who are no less capable but who have different abilities? For this series of questions we have high hopes, and are aware that Paris 2024 will be a formidable springboard.

P. I. — It’s one thing is to formulate expectations, and another to quantify them. Are there tangible indicators you can rely on?

M.-A. L. — During the Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the French team fielded 137 athletes. In Paris, this number ought to increase significantly. In Japan, with the exception of blind football and wheelchair rugby, we were conspicuous by our absence from team sports. In 2024, we hope to compete in more disciplines. Strengthening the position of those with severe disabilities and feminizing the team are also on the agenda: in Tokyo, only a quarter of the team was made up of women. We have to starting bringing about this change as of Paris 2024. As for hopes for medals in Paris, it is still too early to comment. Let’s leave our athletes to continue their preparations; there will still be time to adjust our expectations when it comes to results.

As for the legacy of the Paralympic Games with regard to the practice of sport by people with disabilities, we lack too many statistics to set a quantifiable course. Apart from our two specific federations, the French Handisport Federation (FFH) and the French Federation for Adapted Sport (FFSA), it is difficult to assess the number of practitioners with disabilities. On the other hand, there is one situation that is easier to examine: the role of sport in the lives of people with disabilities. Too often, this practice is perceived as non-essential, not a priority in the course of one’s life. It should be exactly the opposite: the practice of sport should be encouraged and facilitated as much as possible, because it is a way of taking ownership of one’s disability and emancipating oneself from it.

P. I. — You are saying that if Paris 2024 changed this perception even just a little, it would be worth an avalanche of figures …

M.-A. L. — The aim is to allow people with disabilities who wish to practice sport to benefit from the most transversal approach possible, with the joint support of associations, clubs, federations, facility builders, financial backers in general, etc. These multiple roles contribute to creating universal accessibility, the goal being that disability should no longer constitute an unsurmountable barrier to a whole range of fields. The spotlight will be upon us all the more because disability is not a marginal issue. France is a country that, according to the typologies, has between 10 and 12 million people who can be considered disabled. Our battle is one for inclusion in general.

P. I. — Is there a countdown to the Paralympic Games, just like the Olympic Games? Are there any preparatory steps that have to be completed on time or risk jeopardizing the smooth running of the event?

M.-A. L. — The facilities that will be used by the Olympics are largely the same as those that will be used two weeks later by the Paralympics. In terms of organization, 3,000 people with disabilities are expected to join the volunteer workforce that will support both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. As these people require a little more time for training, they must be recruited earlier on. As for the competitions, you probably cannot apply the same concepts to the Olympic Games as to the Paralympic Games, but one is not superior to the other; likewise, the Olympic Games are not the top show, and the Paralympic Games the event that comes second. It is important that the two events respond to each other. Why not pass the flame from one to the other?

P. I. — Since the beginning, the Paralympic Games have always taken place after the Olympic Games. Is the opposite conceivable, or could the two events at least take place simultaneously?

M.-A. L. — Both options have already been examined, but for the moment, the agenda is organized in such a way that the Paralympic Games take place two weeks after the Olympics. There are other ways to establish a connection. The Paris 2024 Games have allowed us to break significant new ground, in particular with the single logo. During the Tokyo Games, for the first time, the French Olympic and Paralympic teams formed a single entity. In Beijing, the outfits worn by our winter sports athletes bore the same emblem. The goal is always to promote unity without erasing each person’s individuality.

P. I. — Despite these efforts, the idea remains that commitment to the Paralympic Games is much weaker than commitment to the Olympics …

M.-A. L. — Because that’s the reality! Released in 2018, the Onesta report (1) showed that for every one euro invested in the preparation of a Paralympic athlete, fifteen are invested in an Olympic athlete. This huge differential means that a Paralympic athlete has less ability to prepare well. It is the reflection of how far behind we are in the development of our para-sports model – a delay which explains France’s decline in the table of nations. The ambition to succeed in future Games must encourage us to think collectively about the para-sports model of the future, about its development and its influence. And prompt each party to assume their responsibilities, whether actors in the field of sport, the economy, or government authorities ... The awareness is real, the changes are noteworthy, but we still have to go further to support our athletes in the process of high performance.

P. I. — What did you learn from the Paralympic Games in Tokyo?

M.-A. L. — I am not in the best position to pass judgment on the Paralympic Games in Tokyo: indeed, before being able to observe them, I was mobilized for the first week as an athlete. That said, my position as a privileged witness during the following days was extremely interesting, and I hope that this feedback can be of benefit to the next Paralympiad. In terms of logistics, transport and mobility in general, the athletes benefitted from good conditions. I also recall the professionalism of the welcome by the Japanese. In Paris, if we want to obtain even better results than usual, we have to bolster our athlete support strategy ahead of the Games by strengthening the professionalization of coaches, securing the athletes’ financial resources, optimizing the use of data, etc. We must also continue the screening process, particularly in the three major Paralympic sports (by number of medals), which are athletics, cycling and swimming. Organizing ourselves to reap all the benefits of the Games ‘at home’, particularly in the areas of recovery and of mental preparation, is also essential.

P. I. — These Tokyo Games were unfortunately overshadowed by the health crisis. Did that spoil them after all? Should we plan in advance for the possibility of a disturbed environment in 2024?

M.-A. L. — No athlete in the world enjoys playing before empty stands. A bit of soul is missing, that emotional outpouring generated by the public when they attend major sporting events. But the health bubble did not only have bad sides. In Tokyo, by force of circumstance, athletes from all over the world found themselves in each other’s company. This proximity created a lovely fellowship within the team. Back in Paris, I won’t forget the event organized at the Trocadéro to pay tribute to the medalists of the two French teams, Olympic and Paralympic. This meeting was called because it was impossible to celebrate the champions in Japan. As soon as they stepped off the podium, they had to fly home. It’s a bit frustrating to leave a competition under those conditions! The ceremony at the Trocadéro made it possible to erase some of this frustration. And seeing our two French teams so closely associated was also extremely positive.

P. I. — Paralympiad after Paralympiad, what progress have you observed? Do you feel there is more recognition for Paralympic athletes? Do you feel the Paralympic Games gaining momentum each time?

M.-A. L. — I am lucky enough to have participated four times in the Paralympic Games. That makes it possible to measure the progress. The advances since 1960 when the Paralympic Games were created are tangible. At the start the event was embryonic, really separate from the Olympic Games. It took until 1988 for the Paralympic Games to be held in the same city, with the option of both staying in the Olympic Village and using the facilities available for the Olympics. This observation of increasing power has also been reflected nationally: in France, since 2008, medal-winning athletes at the Paralympic Games receive the same sized bonuses as their comrades who’ve won medals at the Olympic Games. The London Games in 2012 marked a turning point in the visibility of the Paralympic movement. Although increasing the media coverage of the Paralympic Games remains one of our major concerns, the changes are noteworthy. This summer, and for the first time in its history, the Paralympic Games made the front page of L’Équipe newspaper. It is important to note that these advances in the field of sport go well beyond high-level competition, and result in the development of the para-sports movement as a whole.

P. I. — An organizational matter: why are athletes with mental disabilities so poorly represented at the Paralympic Games?

M.-A. L. — It is obviously not a question of harming people who have intellectual disabilities; moreover, the question of their participation prompts a great deal of debate within the institutions concerned. For the moment, three disciplines are accessible to these athletes during the Paralympic Games, namely swimming, table tennis and athletics. On the other hand, they are not represented at the Winter Paralympics. The situation is, I hope, certainly not immutable.

P. I. — Do the athletes get sufficient support? From their club, their federation, from companies, public authorities…

M.-A. L. — Their trajectories can prove very different. Some have been included since their youth within existing sports structures. Others come forward later. What they all have in common is an unusual life trajectory, following routes that are often bumpy but full of richness.

P. I. — What is the state of parasports in France ?

M.-A. L. — The good news is the growing number of actors who are aware of parasports and see its development as a necessity. On the other hand, obstacles remain: I mentioned earlier the weight of attitudes, but we also suffer from a lack of investment in facilities, a lack of available time slots and, of course, limited budgets. Faced with these problems, the solution is not to single out the behavior of this or that entity: disability is an issue that needs to unite all kinds of skills; for example, both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health are called upon to be involved. We all need to work towards a more in-depth dialogue between the different actors to be in a position to apply concrete solutions.

P. I. — What would it take to get more media interest in parasport? The Paralympic Games certainly benefit from real coverage, but attention quickly drops off …

M.-A. L. — What we are seeing, in effect, is a two-speed system. In so far as the Paralympic Games manage to be in the spotlight, the remaining competitions generally pass under the radar. You’d think that not much happens from one Paralympiad to the next. That optic has to change. We could perfectly conceive of people being interested in the Paralympic Games one or two years beforehand. Between television, radio, social networks and multimedia in all its forms, there is no shortage of media to disseminate reports, features or interviews. The para-sports world must also join in this effort, through a lot of educational work. I fully understand that viewers can feel a little sealed-off from a parasport competition if they do not have precise knowledge of the rules, classifications and codes in general. With this in mind, we must seek to support our media, to train more consultants, people who have the profile and expertise to address the greatest number of people and manage to interest them.

P. I. — Is there a country that is a benchmark in the area of parasports?

M.-A. L. — It all depends how you look at it. In terms of results and means, the United Kingdom is an example. Not only do British athletes achieve excellent performances during the Paralympic Games, but the media sphere abundantly relays the efforts made in research, innovation and medicine. From the outset, it is a whole country in all its diversity that supports its representatives. But if you favor the societal approach rather than hard and fast results, then the Scandinavian countries are a benchmark. They are really developing an inclusive society where people with disabilities – and those who play sports in particular – are valued as much as the others.