The French Disabled Sports Federation revealed on Thursday the first names of the athletes who will represent the host country at the Paris Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8), in para athletics and para swimming.
A dozen names were communicated by Paralympic France, after validation by the Paralympic Selection Committee (CPS), body of the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF).
Among them, several experienced figures in para athletics: the reigning Paralympic vice champion in the 100m Timothée Adolphe, the Paralympic long jump champion (2008) Arnaud Assoumani and the Paralympic champion in the 400m (2016) Nantenin Keita. Bronze medalists at the last World Para-Athletics Championships in Paris, long jumpers Manon Genest and Valentin Bertrand will also be present.
In addition to athletics, swimming also has its first representatives with three selected. Among them, Alex Portal, triple world champion this summer in Manchester, is one of the big favorites for the Games, just like Ugo Didier, who brought home four silver medals and one bronze individually from England.
50m butterfly world champion Laurent Chardard completes this first trio of swimmers. During the Games, which will begin on August 28, the para athletics events will take place at the Stade de France, those of swimming at the Défense Arena in Nanterre.
The list of first selected for the 2024 Paralympic Games:
para-athletics: Timothée Adolphe (sprint, T11, blind category), Gloria Agblemagnon (shot put, F20, intellectual disability), Arnaud Assoumani (long jump, T47, absence of a limb), Valentin Bertrand (jump long jump, T37, paralysis of part of the body), Manon Genest (long jump, T37), Nantenin Keita (sprint, T13, visually impaired), Charles-Antoine Kouakou (sprint, T20, intellectual disability), Trésor Makunda (sprint, T11), Badr Touzi (shot put, F63, paralysis of part of the body)
para swimming: Laurent Chardard (S6, physical disability), Ugo Didier (S9, physical disability), Alex Portal (S13, visual impairment).