Australia crashes to 44 year low at Paris Paralympics in alarming slide ahead of Brisbane Games in 2032
- Aussies plummet in medal standings in Paris
- Comes after topping the rankings at the 2000 Sydney Games
- President reveals reason behind decline
There are calls for more funding for Australian Paralympic athletes following the disappointing Paris Games, where Australia achieved their worst medal haul in 40 years.
The final day of the Paralympic Games ended in disappointment for the Australians as Madison de Rozario was unable to reclaim her T54 in the women’s marathon, finishing second behind Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner.
There were several big moments for the Australians at the Paris Games. Lauren Parker buried the pain of missing out on triathlon gold in Tokyo to become the first Australian to win gold in multiple sports in 48 years.
Alexa Leary’s comeback from a near-fatal cycling accident three years ago was capped off with a stunning performance in the pool that left her family holding back tears.
James Turner recovered from a nasty bout of glandular fever in May to win two impressive gold medals, in the 100m and 400m of T36.
But their heroics could not hide the fact that Australia recorded its worst Paralympic medal haul since 1980.
It is a huge setback after Australia won the highest number of medals at the Paralympic Games in Sydney in 2000.
Australian flag bearers Lauren Parker and James Turner at the closing ceremony in Paris
Other countries have overtaken Australia, said Paralympics Australia coach Alison Creagh
Paralympics Australia president Alison Creagh said she was proud of the Australian team’s achievements but the rest of the world was already playing catch-up when it comes to producing top Paralympic talent.
“It’s getting harder and harder. Every country wants to be successful. Australia is no different, and I think we can do a lot more in the future to just be the best we can be,” she said.
“This is elite sport. It happens in every sport and we just have to put our systems in place to support our athletes and coaches and ensure that we have success.”
‘But it’s not a short journey, so you don’t achieve success right away.
“You have to invest time and effort in your system, understand the system and know how to optimize your performance.”
‘It takes time to grow these great top athletes,’
Australian swimmer Tim Hodge has revealed that some athletes receive heavy funding while others are left to fend for themselves
The federal government has pledged a record $283 million in funding for Paralympic and Olympic sport over the next two years, in a move that will provide a huge boost to aspiring athletes.
But Paralympic star Tim Hodge has warned Australia could fall further on the medal tally in the run-up to Brisbane 2032 if more funding is not made available for sport and athletes.
“I don’t know the numbers, but I do know it’s a widespread problem and we hope to change it by raising awareness of Para sport,” Hodge said.
“While the Olympics are a showcase of human excellence, the Paralympic Games are a showcase of human resilience. And people back home can relate to that.”
“They might see someone on TV who is missing a leg or an arm or has some other condition, and they think, ‘Well, they can do that. Why can’t I?’
‘To build the Paralympic movement and ensure that it continues to exist for future generations, I believe that real money is needed.’