France

The financial hurdles facing French Paralympians

The Paralympic Games opened in Paris to great fanfare on Wednesday evening, ahead of ten days of a total 549 events in which more than 4,000 athletes will be competing. France is fielding a squad of 239 Paralympians, and while they are receiving better support than previously, many of the athletes are still being held back by a lack of resources. Cécile Hautefeuille and Faïza Zerouala report on the major disparities that remain for French Paralympians compared with able-bodied athletes.

Cécile Hautefeuille and Faïza Zerouala

Over the past few weeks, Rafik Arabat should have shut himself away, like his fellow athletes, to fully prepare for the Paralympic Games which open in Paris on August 28th. But this top-level athlete, who has been practising para powerlifting since the age of 18 – his heaviest bench press was 212 kilos – has instead had financial issues to tackle.

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