In terms of parity, the French team is still far from the podium

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. It is perhaps also because there are only three women to have won the Olympic title, while their male counterparts number fourteen, which would require a completely different effort of memorization! This assessment is a reflection of the disabled sports movement in France, whose apparent diversity masks profound contrasts.

Announced as a strong commitment of the Paris Games, parity was almost respected during the Olympic fortnight for all nationalities (49% of women qualified) and was not far from being so during the Paralympic sequence (46%). This is also true for the French team involved in the Olympic Games. But the picture is less flattering for the French Paralympic delegation, which brings together 155 men for 82 women, or 34%.

“We still need to do better, that’s for sure, but the situation has improved since Tokyo, where our delegation only had 27% women.”recalls Caroline Grandclément, Paralympic high performance advisor at the National Sports Agency. Especially since the French Paralympic and Sports Committee (CPSF) has decided to raise the target to 40% for the next Games, in 2028.

Zero champions among the French disabled sports team in Tokyo, three in Paris… “A young generation is emerging, we must wait for them in Los Angeles”anticipates Marie-Amélie Le Fur, the president of the CPSF. “Having a gender-balanced delegation is a lever for performance. When we look at the top 5 Paralympic nations, these are nations where you have 50% men and 50% womenshe insists, without denying reality. There is less female parasport practice than male, and this is reflected in the French Paralympic team.”

At the head of these countries stands China, 83 gold medals in this 2024 edition, and a delegation that is predominantly female (56%). In second place is the United Kingdom, 43 titles, and a collective of athletes comprising 46% of women. “Ensuring fairness in the practice of sport has long been one of the foundations of our sports policies, we are quite proud of it, even if we still have progress to make”, comments David Clarke, Chairman of British Paralympics, the British Paralympic movement..

“We’re starting from a long way back”

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