Belgium's athletes aim to build on Tokyo success at Paris Paralympics
Belgium is sending 29 athletes to the Paralympic Games in Paris this month. Delegation leader Olek Kazimirowski says the team is aiming to do better than at the 2021 Tokyo Games, where they won 15 medals.
Athletes will be competing in disciplines including athletics, archery, road and track cycling, badminton, dressage and tennis.
“Almost all the medallists from Tokyo are also going to Paris,” Kazimirowski said at a press conference on Wednesday. “We now hope to do even better than in Tokyo, both in number of medals and in the colour of those medals.”
Marc Vergauwen, chair of the Belgian Paralympic Committee, hopes that after attending the Olympics in large numbers, Belgian fans will also travel to Paris for to the Paralympics to cheer on their team. “Our athletes are excited to share this moment,” he said.
"We want the athletes to be able to count on as many supporters in the stadiums as possible"
For the first time, the Paralympic team and supporters will also have their own site, the Lotto Paralympic Belgium House, in a historic Art Nouveau-style building on the Champs-Élysées.
“We want the athletes to be able to count on as many supporters in the stadiums as possible,” said spokesperson Guillaume Gobert. “In addition, we also want to offer a unique experience at the House, where hopefully we can also celebrate some medals.”
The Paralympic Games take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September. The first members of the delegation will leave next Sunday.
Paralympic jockey Manon Claeys © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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