'I don't want London to be best Paralympics ever'

As nan Olympic occurrence was extinguished and that family looked guardant to Los Angeles successful 2028, it was an important infinitesimal arsenic Tony Estanguet, nan Paris 2024 president, announced that "the return lucifer is now".

Along pinch having Paralympians successful nan last stages of nan torch lighting astatine nan Olympic closing ceremony, it laid down a decisive if subtle connection that nan ‘second half’ of nan Games is coming.

The anticipation connected Paris arsenic Paralympic hosts is high. London 2012 raised nan Paralympic bar, and Paris will want to move it up different notch. It is clip for that to happen. While I loved everything successful London, I don’t want it to beryllium nan champion Paralympics ever, conscionable 1 of nan best.

Since then, Rio 2016 faced immense financial challenges, putting nan Games themselves successful jeopardy, earlier a important push to waste tickets saw venues filled for what was dubbed nan ‘People’s Games’.

Tokyo should person been different, but Covid meant a year’s hold and erstwhile nan Games were staged, cipher was capable to watch successful person, isolated from a smattering of team-mates and volunteers.

We are present now successful nan French superior pinch glorious venues, awesome competition, nan committedness of a bold opening ceremonial pinch athletes astatine its heart, and hopefully immoderate bully upwind too. I americium excited by nan imaginable of nan adjacent 2 weeks.

The vibe successful nan metropolis during nan Olympics was great. The instrumentality zones were welcoming and accessible.

Paris does not person to interest astir its tourer manufacture but location has been a alteration successful position of an knowing of nan deficiency of access.

Going retired for meal 1 nighttime I was met astatine nan doorway of nan edifice by a waiter who told maine they didn’t person an accessible toilet. I didn’t deliberation they would but this is simply a large measurement successful moving forward.

Organisers opportunity 1.75 cardinal tickets person been sold, 700,000 of them coming from nan commencement of nan Olympics. That push astir summons income will proceed pinch nan dream that Parisiens coming backmost from their accepted French holidays - ‘Les Vacances’ - will get involved.

The International Paralympic Committee has promised that nan summer’s sporting statement isn’t complete and nan biggest 1 is yet to travel pinch group having nan clip of their lives, which I americium judge they will.

An 80,000-seater venue for illustration nan Stade de France, which will big nan athletics, will not beryllium easy to fill, but different sports for illustration wheelchair fencing and Para-taekwondo, which will return spot astatine nan Grand Palais, nan Para-cycling way events, nan Para-equestrian programme and unsighted shot astatine nan Eiffel Tower Stadium are adjacent to trading out.

This is an important clip for nan Paralympic movement. This Games will person much women than ever before, much media sum and if they don’t drawback this moment, it will beryllium a mislaid opportunity.

The sum successful nan UK will beryllium wall-to-wall and it will beryllium nan closest our athletes are going to get to a location summertime games for a agelong time. It will make it easier for friends, family and fans, who could not recreation to Tokyo, to beryllium portion of nan Games and will mean that nan assemblage tin spot events successful existent clip arsenic opposed to highlights.

I americium besides excited to spot really nan United States are taking sum of nan Games to a full caller level earlier LA 2028.

Historically, nan Paralympic activity successful nan US has been a mediocre narration to nan Olympics and often confused pinch nan Special Olympics, but now it has been elevated and their athletes will want to make a large connection earlier their location Games successful 2028.

We could besides spot genuinely world superstars coming retired of these Games. Olympic agelong jump champion Tara Davis-Woodhall is joined to amputee sprinter Hunter Woodhall. They are a existent sporting powerfulness mates and what amended measurement to item nan linking of nan 2 Games?

ParalympicsGB will person a squad of 215 athletes successful action pinch nan badge target group by UK Sport of 100-140.

In Tokyo nan British squad vanished 2nd down China pinch 124 medals, including 41 golds. But I deliberation nan USA will beryllium pushing difficult to return that 2nd spot from GB. France will besides want to impressment and Australia are ever a threat.

After nan Games is clip for a wider statement connected wherever we request to beryllium successful nan badge table. We are a mini country, albeit pinch a batch of talented athletes, but we person nary power complete what immoderate different state does.

The database of wherever we expect nan golds to travel from is long, but what I dream to spot is simply a breadth of medals crossed each sports, akin to what was achieved successful Tokyo.

Some of nan astir astonishing and unexpected moments successful Japan were personification triumphing, not complete adversity, but complete sporting giants and those memories still unrecorded pinch me.

The Paralympic occurrence was lit astatine Stoke Mandeville, nan birthplace of nan Games, past play and is making its measurement done 50 cities successful France.

The excitement and anticipation is growing. The British squad and nan athletes person put everything into this and I dream location will beryllium immoderate bold performances crossed nan board.