Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Audrey Cayol, wheelchair basketball player: “We are aiming for a medal, that’s the goal”

20 years later, Audrey Cayol and the French wheelchair basketball teamare returning to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. For the 43-year-old Columérie, this will be his second Games after a First participation in 2004 in Athens.

He is an unconditional enthusiast of his sport, he started, validly, at 5 years old. An unfortunate accident while practicing his discipline could have discouraged him. This was not to be, in 1998, two years after his accident, he joined the Meaux club. He will do a professional stint in Italy, from 2008 to 2011, then he will return to Seine-et-Marne. He has a semi-professional status like his young teammate and is a telephone sales advisor.

He returns to Le Pays Briard on this first experience in 2004 and on his expectations for Paris 2024.

Tell us about your first Paralympic experience in Athens in 2004.

It was a very, very strong experience for me. It was my first competition that I did with the French team. I started preparations with them in 2003, we did different courses and tournaments, and to my great surprise, I was selected for the Athens Games. The atmosphere was incredible. On the other hand, on a sporting level, it didn’t go very well, we finished second to last.

20 years later, you return to the Paralympic Games as captain and leader of this French team, what does that provoke in you?

It’s a Source of great pride for me. Then again, I didn’t expect to be named captain at all. It was my teammates who asked for me to be captain, a mission that I accepted with pleasure. I will do everything to push the players to get the best out of themselves.

How do you judge this French team? What are the strengths and weaknesses?

Our greatest strength has clearly been attack for years and years. On the other hand, what we lack the most is the defensive side. We really had big gaps, but we worked a lot over the last 3/4 years. It was the addition of a new coach to the staff, who arrived with us last year, who is a former British player and who is the defense man, which allowed us to work on this aspect of our game as much as possible. And it bore fruit, because that’s really what allowed us to qualify for this year’s Paralympic Games. In all the matches in the qualifying tournament, we conceded less than 60 points per match even though we played big nations like Canada, the Netherlands and Iran.

What is the objective for Paris 2024?

Clearly, given our progress in recent years, the objective is the medal. It’s largely playable, most of the 8 qualified teams have already beaten aces, so there’s really something to look forward to in front of our audience. Afterwards, and they will be difficult to beat, the favorites are the USA, who are the reigning world champions.

Furthermore, whatever happens, there will be no easy matches, there are only 8 teams competing, so the best nations.

At 43, what will be next for you after Paris?

I had a major shoulder injury 5 years ago where I had 3 tendons fail. I told myself, I’m treating myself, I’m coming back slowly and if I manage to recover my level, my main objective will be to qualify for the Paralympic Games. The objective has been achieved, now I have not yet asked myself any questions about the rest of my career. Obviously at 43, it starts to be hard, but afterward in disabled sports, you can go further, it’s only the upper body that works. Recently, in Antibes, in the Italian team, there was a player aged 51 or 52 who was still at a good level. So for the moment, I’m not asking the question, we’ll see by the end of August how it goes.

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