France Targets Top 5 in LA 2028 Paralympics

This objective builds upon the momentum and significant progress made during the Paris 2024 cycle, where France secured an eighth-place finish in the medal standings. Le Fur emphasized that the move towards a top five ranking was a long-term goal established and pursued throughout the Paris preparations, underpinned by a quadrupling of funding for athlete preparation.

With recent world championship success confirming potential, para-climbing serves as a primary vehicle for France to capture new medals at the 2028 Games.

Recent world championship results affirm France's strong potential in this discipline, while paracycling also remains a key area following its extraordinary results in 2024. Le Fur highlighted the importance of feminization in sports and providing enhanced support for athletes with severe disabilities, identifying these as untapped niches for performance improvement.

The budget for high performance, managed by the National Sports Agency, has remained stable since 2024, ensuring continued support for elite athletes. While budgetary adjustments have primarily impacted sports equipment and local participation, elite athlete funding has largely been shielded.

Le Fur stressed the significant return on investment in sports, asserting that every €1 invested yields €13 in savings across other public sectors.

The games served to visualize disability and showcase the diverse competencies and capabilities of people with disabilities, leading to a more comfortable and informed public understanding of disability.

France continues to lag in regular sports practice among this demographic, with geographic proximity being a primary challenge due to mobility constraints. This issue stems from a dual problem: a lack of awareness within the medical and educational sectors, and insufficient accessible local infrastructure.

The primary goal is to foster diverse local offerings that cater to individual needs, as many clubs currently struggle with a 'feeling of incompetence' when managing disability. By providing education and dispelling myths, the program aims to successfully motivate clubs to open their doors to athletes with disabilities.