Aurélie Aubert in boccia, Marie Patouillet in track cycling, Emeline Pierre in swimming. If these French athletes are now known to the general public, it is because they distinguished themselves by winning a gold medal at the Paralympic Games. Perhaps it is also because, on the eve of the end of the competitions, only three women have obtained the title, while their male counterparts are fourteen, which would require a completely different effort of memorization. This assessment reflects the sports movement for the disabled in France, whose apparent diversity hides profound contrasts.
Announced as a strong commitment for the Paris Games, parity was almost respected during the Olympic fortnight for all nationalities (49% of women qualified) and was not far from it during the Paralympic sequence (46%). This also applies to the French team competing at the Olympic Games. But the outlook is less encouraging for the French Paralympic delegation, which brings together 155 men and 82 women, or 34%.
“We need to do even better, that’s for sure, but the situation has progressed since Tokyo, where our delegation was only 27% women.”“Recalls Caroline Grandclément, a Paralympic high performance advisor at the National Sports Agency. Especially since the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) has decided to increase the target to 40% for the next Games in 2028.
Zero champions among the Blue Handisport in Tokyo, three in Paris… “There is a young generation emerging, we have to wait for it in Los Angeles”anticipates Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the CPSF. “Having an equitable delegation is a lever for performance. When we look at the top 5 Paralympic nations, these are nations where there are 50% men and 50% women.he insists, without denying reality. We have less participation in women’s parasport than in men’s, and this is reflected in the French Paralympic team. »
At the top of these countries is China, with 84 gold medals in this 2024 edition, and a predominantly female delegation (56%). In second place is the United Kingdom, with 45 titles and a group of athletes made up of 46% women. “Ensuring fairness in the practice of sport has long been one of the pillars of our sports policies and we are very proud of it., Even if we still have progress to make, comments David Clarke, Chairman of British Paralympics, the British Paralympic movement.
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