after Paris 2024, the depression of French Olympic medalists

90% of French medalists said they had feelings of loneliness, sadness or even depression, while the enthusiasm created around Paris 2024 has now died down.

They are reunited once again, far from the capital, in Tignes, in Savoie. The 83 French medalists from Paris 2024 are participating in the Stars of Sport, an event which allows young hopefuls to benefit from the experience of their elders, in this case the Olympic and Paralympic champions.

But a few months after the event, the fervor died down. 90% of French medalists from Paris 2024 said they felt loneliness, sadness and depression. A trend which obviously affects Olympic champions, but which is even worse among Paralympic athletes. Because in addition to the enthusiasm which has necessarily run out of steam, they now see the subsidies and sponsors disappearing.

Nélia Barbosa, the Paralympic canoe vice-champion, is an example. She was suddenly confronted with this depression, just after the Games. To the point of calling a psychologist. “So much is asked of us… We are asked to be 100% all the time, every day. In fact, we are human beings and we have flaws”she explains.

“We went from three training sessions a day to nothing at all, overnight. The party is over and we have to return to normal life.”

Nélia Barbosa, the Paralympic canoe vice-champion

at franceinfo

“I had a lot of trouble returning to training. We experienced something so grandiose, so unique that we will never find such emotions in other competitions. It makes you think a little.”summarizes the French medalist.

For Antoine Praud too, his condition went beyond nostalgia. He also had a hard time returning to normal life after his bronze medal in para-athletics. “We really felt like there was a 'Games atmosphere' and suddenly there's no longer that and you're half missing it : 'Give me that again, it was so good, everyone was smiling and happy'. There's this little depression that comes to slap you in the face and tell you that the Games are over and you have to wait four years to experience it again.”he confides.

A depression accentuated by losing their sponsors like most Paralympic athletes. But Nélia Barbosa and Antoine Praud intend to win new medals in four years in Los Angeles.