After two weeks of jubilant celebrations during the Olympic Games, Paris once again dons its athletic garb for the Paralympic Games, which commence on Wednesday, August 28. The capital, along with the organizing committee (Cojop), had 17 days to prepare for the arrival of 4,400 athletes with disabilities. “We are ready, everything is in order,” assures Ludivine Munos, head of Paralympic integration within the Cojop, in a statement to franceinfo. However, one might question whether the fervor that animated Paris has waned during this interim, especially as the school year looms and political developments dominate the media. This concern raises the question: why the gap between the two segments of the Games?
Reconfiguring Sites and the Olympic Village
Following 15 days of festivities, everyone needed a break, according to Ludivine Munos: “Hosting the Paralympic Games in a deserted Paris, nearing August 15, wouldn’t have been very meaningful.” However, this pause is primarily justified by logistical necessities. More than 14,000 individuals resided in the Olympic Village during the Olympics. It was imperative to clear the space to accommodate the 9,000 athletes and staff members for the Paralympic Games. The process involved cleaning, maintenance, and the installation of mobility solutions and a prosthetics repair center. As with Rome, these tasks couldn’t be completed in a single day. “Resizing the village is an enormous transition effort. Achieving this in three to four days is a logistical feat,” lauds Jean Minier, director of sports within the French Paralympic and Sports Committee.
Moreover, all Olympic signage was replaced to accommodate Paralympic branding, featuring the Agitos—those three large red, blue, and green commas replacing the Olympic rings. The interval between the two competitions also allows teams from around the globe to arrive a few days prior to the events and adjust to the time difference.
Time was also required to modify some competition sites to suit Paralympic disciplines. For instance, the beach volleyball venue at the foot of the Eiffel Tower was transformed into the blind football stadium. “We decided not to remove the 400 tons of sand but to cover it with a floor that will host artificial turf,” explains Gautier Jourdet, head of site infrastructure, to franceinfo sport.
The Place de la Concorde, which hosted urban park events, BMX, skateboarding, breaking, and 3×3 basketball during the Olympics, has undergone another transformation. It will now serve as the stage for Wednesday night’s opening ceremony. “This is the largest project: transforming three sports sites into a ceremony venue,” says Ludivine Munos.
The Infeasibility of Concurrent Games
Organizing both events simultaneously would present a logistical challenge of a wholly different magnitude. The Olympics feature 329 events, while the Paralympics include 549. “We realized that if we wanted to hold both simultaneously, we would have to double the number of facilities because there are twice as many athletes competing. By holding the events separately, we optimize the use of infrastructure,” explained Tony Estanguet, president of the Cojop, in a 2021 interview with RMC. Given the goal of hosting responsible Games, this scenario was deemed unreasonable, according to Ludivine Munos: “Doubling everything is not sensible.”
Holding both events at the same time would also likely detract from the visibility of athletes with disabilities. The Olympic stars, already more familiar to the public, could overshadow para-athletes, leaving them with only limited exposure on broadcaster networks. “Even with just the Olympic events, we sometimes struggle to cover everything, and the television can’t broadcast everything simultaneously. Imagine adding Paralympic events to that mix. It would completely overwhelm the coverage of all sports,” notes French badminton champion Milena Surreau in her podcast, “Journal d’une parabadiste.”
“Today, holding the Paralympics simultaneously with the Olympics would be the worst idea.”
Milena Surreau, parabadminton champion, “Journal d’une parabadiste” podcast
“When you compete on the same day as Teddy Riner, no one talks about you,” summarized Tony Estanguet on RMC in 2021. “If we want to showcase Paralympic athletes, we need to give them their own dedicated media space.” By arriving over two weeks after the Olympics, athletes with disabilities have the entire spotlight to themselves. For 10 days, “whenever you turn on the TV, you’ll see parasport. I don’t see how visibility could be improved,” concludes Milena Surreau.
Using the Olympics as a Springboard
But why not hold the Paralympic Games before the Olympic Games? According to Jean Minier, “The IOC prefers that the Olympics serve as the opening act of the festivities.” The agreement signed in 2001 between the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee stipulates that the Paralympic Games will be held in the same city but subsequently, as the official Olympic website notes. Also speaking to RMC in 2021, Tony Estanguet explained that the Paralympic world “believes it can benefit from the momentum generated by the Olympic Games, which kick-start the enthusiasm surrounding the Games.”
“It’s a bad idea to hold them before,” agrees Ludivine Munos. “What works is that we still want to celebrate.” The Paralympic Games will even “be happy to welcome those who left Paris due to ‘Olympic bashing,'” she assures. Munos observes that 54% of the volunteers who worked during the Olympics are returning for the Paralympics, even though the organization expected only 40%. She views this as a testament to the enduring excitement.
Furthermore, following the Olympics has its advantages: most organizational issues have already been identified and resolved. “The Olympics bear the brunt of the difficulties,” smiles Jean Minier, the director of sports within the French Paralympic and Sports Committee. “When we come second, we benefit from the experience gained during the 15 days by the Olympic Organizing Committee.”
The fact that the number of tickets sold for the Paralympic Games is nearing 2 million, largely since the beginning of the Olympics, suggests that this formula is effective. And there’s no reason to believe the success seen in early August won’t be replicated. Although he counts on the support and promotion from able-bodied athletes “to transfer the enthusiasm,” Jean Minier remains confident: “There’s a second round. The great success of an Olympic edition should carry the Paralympic Games along in its wake.”
