Athletes such as William Ellard and Bly Twomey starred this summer but much needs doing to boost disabled sport between Games
There was a lot riding on the Paris Paralympics, but they delivered. A Games that had the challenge not only of exciting the people of Paris but of reviving the movement behind disability sport served up world-class entertainment to full stadiums and left a legacy of a more accessible French capital on top. Paris was a triumph, if not quite a perfect one, but the question that is already being asked is: what next?
For ParalympicsGB the answers are relatively clear. After another second place in the medal table, ahead of the US and the host nation and behind only China, funding has been locked in for the next four-year cycle that ends in Los Angeles 2028. A £330m package across Olympic and Paralympic programmes saw every one of the 18 world-class Paralympic programmes receive a cash increase. William Ellard in the pool, Archie Atkinson in the velodrome and the table tennis semi-finalist Bly Twomey are new faces who emerged in Paris with prospects for glory in Los Angeles. The 2028 Games, even with the political complications of a Trump presidency, are something athletes and officials are excited by.
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Source link : https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/dec/27/gb-again-set-standards-at-paris-paralympics-now-to-fill-in-the-gaps
Author : Paul MacInnes
Publish date : 2024-12-27 12:00:11
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