2024 in Review: Triumph of the Spirit

Coombs joins in the celebrations

2024 in Review: Triumph of the Spirit

In its second edition as a Paralympic sport, Para badminton captured the hearts of spectators with a spectacle unlike anything seen before. For those who had assumed that the atmosphere would be weaker compared to the Olympics, they were in for a surprise. It was nothing short of surreal. The crowds turned up at the start of play, cheering on every competitor. When French players entered the arena, the stadium crackled with energy and rivalled the best scenes from the Olympics. For their part, French players Charles Noakes (SH6), Lucas Mazur (SL4) repaid the love with gold medals in front of the tumultuous home crowd.

Picture of Diversity

Proceedings on court matched the atmosphere, with a variety of countries excelling. Eleven out of the total 16 events saw three different flags raised up at the medal ceremony – illustrating the spread of the sport.

Alongside, history was made with six countries winning their first medal at an Olympics or Paralympics: Brazil (Vitor Tavares), Nigeria (Mariam Eniola Bolaji), USA (Miles Krajewski/Jayci Simon), Norway (Helle Sofie SagØy), Germany (Thomas Wandschneider), Switzerland (Ilaria Renggli).

Great Matches

There were several matches that went down the wire. The closest of the finals was Nitesh Kumar’s SL3 gold medal win over Daniel Bethell after the favourite had match point. SH6 in particular saw intense action. Charles Noakes’ semifinal win over Vitor Tavares, the SH6 mixed doubles semifinal between eventual winners Lin Naili/Li Fengmei (China) and Subhan Subhan/Rina Marlina (Indonesia), and the women’s singles WH1 final between Sarina Satomi and Sujirat Pookkham were among the standout matches of the tournament.

Unbeatable Icons

Then there were those had emerged as stars in Tokyo 2020 who withstood expectations and were unshaken in their quest to defend their gold. China’s Qu Zi Mo and Liu Yu Tong dominated their respective Wheelchair classes in singles and doubles, as did Japan’s Daiki Kajiwara and Sarina Satomi in their respective singles. Other champions who defended their titles were Cheng He Fang, Yang Qiu Xia, Cheah Liek Hou and Lucas Mazur.

China’s Success Story

By their high standards, China had relatively modest returns at Tokyo 2020 with five gold and three silver from 14 events. At Paris 2024 they demonstrated the rapid strides they had made, with nine gold and two silver from 16 events. Having arrived in Paris with their players having participated in only one tournament this year – the Para Badminton World Championships in January – China showed how well prepared they were for the events that mattered.

Models of Inspiration

There was no lack of inspiring personal stories. There were, for instance, Thomas Wandschneider, nearly 61, who won bronze in men’s singles WH1 – a class requiring tremendous endurance and strength; Mariam Eniola Bolaji, who had survived a difficult childhood to stand on the podium (WS SL3), and Palak Kohli (SL4), who was returning to competition after a bone tumour required surgery in her left foot.

Every competitor’s appearance on court was a triumph against adversity.

Para badminton Emerges

Tokyo 2020 set the standard for Para badminton; Paris 2024 has elevated it to new heights. While the sport has grown by leaps and bounds over the last decade, Paris 2024 might well be the point when it emerged in public consciousness as a sport with a distinct identity.