The greatest hopes for a medal rested on his shoulders, and his pectorals. A Paralympic silver medalist in Tokyo in 2021, Axel Bourlon was welcomed as a hero at the Arena Porte de La Chapelle. The tifo in blue, white, and red, the numerous flags, and the noise of the crowd contrasted with the demeanor of the man from Roanne. Sitting on the bench before his first attempt, he closed his eyes for thirty seconds, entering his zone. The once-boisterous crowd fell into a reverent silence.
Disappointment for Axel Bourlon
Alas, his first attempt at 163 kilograms was invalidated by two of the three judges. The video challenge confirmed the decision, meaning he would need to perform better on the second lift. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s David Degtyarev cleared his first lift at 184 kilograms, taking the lead in the competition. Vietnam’s An Nguyen withdrew after failing his first attempt at 168 kilograms.
With his ranking at its lowest, Axel Bourlon decided to increase the weight for his second attempt. “We don’t really understand the decision on the first lift; I felt comfortable with that weight, which is why I chose to increase,” he explained to the journalists. The lift at 169 kilograms could have given him a provisional fifth place. However, his execution, poorly controlled with his right arm, was invalidated by all three judges. Once again, the video challenge did not overturn the decision. With his head in his hands, Bourlon realized he had missed his chance. After Tokyo, he would not return to the podium. Worse still, his third attempt, again at 169 kilograms, was another failure. Axel Bourlon would not even be ranked.
“It’s a huge disappointment because I didn’t come here for this; I wanted a medal, and the best one possible. I’m leaving these Games empty-handed,” he admitted afterward.
In the end, Kazakhstan’s David Degtyarev (188 kilograms) triumphed over Pablo Ramirez Barrientos (Cuba, 185 kg) and Jinglang Yang (China, 179 kg).
