Para powerlifting: one world record, two paralympic records, but no French medal on the opening day of competition, Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
From the Arena Porte of La Chapelle, by Léo-Pol Platet
September 5, 2024, at 00:44 (GMT+5)
The two French competitors competing in today's different categories, Alex Adelaïde and Axel Bourlon, both finished below sixth place, with the former failing to place after three attempts. Two Paralympic records and one world record were broken in the women's competitions. This is a synopsis of the Parapowerlifting day.
He and his pectorals held the highest expectations for a medal. Axel Bourlon, a 2021 Paralympic silver medallist, was hailed as a hero at the Arena Porte de La Chapelle. The man from Roanne had a different vibe from the tifo in blue, white, and red, the many flags, and the clamor of the throng. Before making his first effort, he sat on the bench and went into his zone by closing his eyes for thirty seconds. The once-raucous assembly became silent in observance.
Disappointed for Axel Bourlon
Unfortunately, two out of the three judges disqualified Axel Bourlon's first try at 163 kg, which left him disappointed. He would have to do better on the second lift, as the video challenge validated the decision. In the meantime, David Degtyarev of Kazakhstan won the tournament after clearing his first lift at 184 kg. An Nguyen of Vietnam withdrew after his initial effort at 168 kg was
unsuccessful.
Axel Bourlon made the decision to raise the weight for his retry after realizing that his rating had dropped. "We don't really understand the decision on the first lift; I felt comfortable with that weight, which is why I chose to increase," he stated to the journalists. With the lift of 169 kg, he might have finished in provisional fifth place. All three judges invalidated his execution, despite his right arm being badly controlled. Once more, the result was upheld by the video challenge. Bourlon knew he had lost his chance and buried his head in his hands. He would not step back onto the podium after Tokyo. Even worse, he failed at his third attempt, which came at 169 kg. There would be no ranking for Axel Bourlon.
"It’s a huge disappointment because I didn’t come here for this; I wanted a medal, and the best one possible. I’m leaving these Games empty-handed," he admitted afterward.
In the end, Kazakhstan's David Degtyarev (188 kilograms) triumphed over Pablo Ramirez Barrientos (Cuba, 185 kg) and Jinglang Yang (China, 179 kg).
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