Pride, patriotism and panache eclipsed a poor show in the pool for the French paralympic delegation at the Paris La Défense Arena. But there was tenderness amid the testosterone et voilà the optics were ... optimal.
Boki
No, this is not a dodgy god out of the Marvel comics universe. Ihar Boki thwarted the hopes of the Frenchman Alex Portal to win gold in the S13 400m freestyle. The victory gave 30-year-old Boki his 19th gold medal at the Paralympic Games. The Belarusian's first came in London in 2012 and his third gold at the Paris Games burnishes his legend as the most successful male competitor in Paralympic history.
Brothers in larmes
Alex Portal - with a bronze and silver from two previous outings in the pool in 2024 - so desperately wanted gold in the 400m S13 freestyle. The 13,000 French flag-waving partisans willed it too. And for 350 metres, the 22-year-old local hero looked like the exploit could be his as 17-year-old brother Kylian battled away further down the field. But Ihar Boki surged away to win his third gold of the 2024 Paralympics. After the race, Alex went over to Kylian's lane and they embraced. The elder to congratulate his sibling for an unexpected bronze and the younger to hail his brother's success and soothe the disappointment.
It's a local affair
Alex and Kylian Portal are very much the local heroes. The pair were raised in Saint-Germain-en-Laye which is just a couple of kilometres from the Paris La Défense Arena. They perfect their arts at the Saint-Germain-en-Laye swimming club and there was a 20-strong contingent of family and friends to support their quest for glory.
Poor pickings
Despite only two medals on the night, there was a feelgood factor. "To see both of them on the podium was magical," said Frédéric Portal after his children, Alex and Kylian, received silver and bronze. And ultimately it all helps. French paralympic chiefs are targeting eighth place for the country's delegation as part of a quest to finish within the top five in subsequent Games.
Channel crossing
French paralympics bosses might do well to look over at what the British are doing. They finished second behind the table-topping Chinese three years ago in Tokyo and in Rio in 2016. They were third in 2012 and second in Beijing in 2008. Going into the fourth day of competition, they were in second place in the table behind the Chinese. That's a consistenly jolly good show.
