Paris sets ‘new benchmark’ for Para sport as Games end on a high

Paris brought joie de vivre back to the Paralympics before passing the torch to Los Angeles after Great Britain retained their status as the best of the rest behind China.

Soggy conditions failed to dampen the mood as the French capital bid adieu to its maiden Games with a spectacular light and electronic music show at a sold-out Stade de France on Sunday evening.

International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons declared the Games the new benchmark as he praised the appetite of the French public at the end of 11 days of intense sporting action.

“For a country famous for its fashion and food, France is now famous for its fans,” he said.

With the legacy of London 2012 fading, the Paralympics certainly required a shot in the arm following financial issues at Rio 2016 and a behind-closed-doors affair in Tokyo amid a global pandemic.

Britain return across the Channel with 124 medals, matching their total in Japan, albeit with eight more golds.

Those podium places – 49 gold, 44 silver and 31 bronze – were spread across 18 of the 19 sports entered, as only the wheelchair rugby team came up short.

Swimmer Poppy Maskill and taekwondo athlete Matt Bush carried the Union Jack into the closing ceremony, having been among the many gold medallists.

Heavy rain fell before and during the finale, a stark contrast to August 28 when sun shone on the Champs Elysees as athletes paraded to Place de la Concorde to launch proceedings in the heart of the city.

Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who was in France to support badminton player Wojtek Czyz – a long-term friend – likened the extravagant curtain-raiser to a Taylor Swift concert and it undoubtedly set the tone.

According to organisers, 2.5million tickets were sold across all events, with many competitions playing out in front of packed terraces and amid atmospheres rarely experienced in Para sport.

Flagbearer Maskill claimed her country’s maiden title but the British team truly burst into life on day four, a super Sunday which brought 12 golds – the most in a single day this century.

Lauren Rowles made history that day by becoming the first female triple rowing champion, while Hannah Cockroft continued her domination of wheelchair racing by clinching an eighth career title – a ninth soon followed.

Like Cockroft, Britain’s most successful Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey boasts a proud unbeaten record, which was stretched to 14 cycling races as two road triumphs moved her on to 19 golds overall, including her swimming exploits.

The formidable pair could well be in California in four years’ time to be joined by GB’s many breakthrough stars.

Fourteen-year-old table tennis player Bly Twomey and 13-year-old swimmer Iona Winnifrith were just two of the 36 British debutants to deliver podium places.

Arguably the standout sporting moment came at Roland Garros.

A day after winning the doubles title alongside Gordon Reid, wheelchair tennis player Alfie Hewett was unfortunate to fall short in the men’s singles final, having set aside a groin injury to slog out a three-set thriller for the ages against 18-year-old Japanese player Tokito Oda in front of a near-capacity crowd.

A maiden medal for the Refugee Paralympic Team – won by Afghanistan-born taekwondo athlete Zakia Khudadadi – was another major moment, while discussions sparked by the presence of 50-year-old Italian transgender runner Valentina Petrillo will rumble on.

Yet, despite triathlon events being postponed by 24 hours due to the poor water quality of the river Seine and pre-Games concerns relating to terrorism, this was a jubilant event which passed with little controversy.

DJ sets and fireworks in Saint-Denis seemed a fitting send-off.

“The overall feeling is just amazing, it’s fantastic what we are feeling, what we are experiencing here in this last two weeks, it’s been unbelievable,” added Parsons.

“Quite simply Paris 2024 is the new benchmark for Paralympic Games, in every aspect.”