Paralympians excluded from the Paris 2024 souvenir book – Libération

As soon as the Paralympic Games ended on September 8, no one was fooled: the game was far from won. “And now, what next?” was necessary. After the popular success of the events, what was France going to do to really promote, in society, the inclusiveness celebrated by all in the wake of stunning athletes? How were we finally and concretely going to integrate disability into the collective unconscious and space? Libé crossed his fingers: “The Paralympic Games gave rise to great hope. Will we be able not to spoil it? Three months later, you just have to go to the bookstore to pick them up. A “beautiful book” which celebrates the high mass of this summer simply skips the Paralympic section which is only entitled to two photos. The impasse is all the more shocking because Paris 2024: the official book of the Olympic Games is a project validated by the organizing body. Former president and national hero Tony Estanguet also signs the preface.

Christmas objective

The large white album (44.95 euros), which benefited from a record print run of 200,000 copies, is gleaming, 320 pages gilded (literally) on the edge and stuffed with photos. The entire Olympiad is retraced, praises the publisher Hugo Sport in his argument, “from the torch relay to the closing ceremony at the Stade de France, including the opening ceremony and, of course, all the sporting exploits. […] The 45 sporting disciplines are meticulously detailed, with a summary of each event for the men’s and women’s categories, providing a complete overview of the competition. Podiums, records, statistics, “inspiring quotes”, “unusual anecdotes”… Nothing seems to have been forgotten. Except, therefore, Paralympic athletes and events. Invisibilized right down to their symbol, the agitos. The Olympic rings sit majestically on the cover.

The embarrassment is palpable at the publisher, Hugo Sport, where a press officer explains this to us: “Due to manufacturing delays (in Italy, editor’s note), this book absolutely had to be finished at the beginning of September.” CThe timing automatically excluded the Paralympic Games scheduled from August 28 to September 8 – when the Olympics took place from July 26 to August 11. The idea was obviously that this derivative product would be delivered sufficiently in advance of Christmas to find itself in a good place under the tree. “There was talk of a book project on the Paralympic Games which would be produced by disabled sports players, we don’t know more,” completes our interlocutor.

Estanguet kicks into touch

No trace of this hypothetical work can be found. And even if it were to materialize one day, the damage is done. Contrary to all the rhetoric, the White Album sidelines Paralympic athletes and, therefore, people with disabilities. Symbolically, it sets out an implicit hierarchy: we can do without their exploits, minor compared to those of the Olympians, of second rate. Questioned by France Info, Paralympic wheelchair tennis champion Stéphane Houdet logically deplored “a huge failure”. And Houdet points out a potential sabotaged jackpot: “I would like to pity the Hugo Sport editions. You’re missing out on selling thousands of books because lots of people would like to have these beautiful images so they can last longer.”

Tony Estanguet kicks into touch, according to what reports Free Midday : “The organizing committee didn’t take care of it at all,” replied the former boss of Cojop this Thursday, when he was questioned about the book during a visit to Montpellier. And to invite, quite nebulously, “each other to take their responsibilities”. Estanguet also recalled that the Paralympic Games had struggled to attract: “The general public waited until the last moment to rush to the ticket office,” et “same for TV rights or editions. As soon as you release a book about the Paralympics, it doesn’t sell. There is an economic reality. Today, the Paralympic system is not a system that is sufficiently mature to generate significant revenue.” The Paris Paralympic Games nevertheless recorded 2.5 million places sold, which he himself was delighted with…

We deduce that the book’s impasse stems from simple realpolitik, after evaluating the benefit-risk balance: given that Paralympism would not sell, it is better to skip it rather than delay the release and deprive yourself of the windfall of Christmas shopping. And so much the worse for beautiful resolutions. Who said “ugly”? We. Let’s not give this poisonous gift.