JParis Paralympic Games 2024 | Para-Powerlifting: One world record, two Paralympic records, but no French medal on the first day of competition

The greatest hopes for a medal rested on his shoulders and his pectorals. Axel Bourlon, who won the silver medal at the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo, received a hero's welcome at the Porte de La Chapelle arena. The blue, white and red T-shirt, the numerous flags and the noise of the crowd contrasted with the demeanor of the man from Roanne. He sat on the bench before his first attempt, closed his eyes for thirty seconds and entered his zone. The once exuberant crowd fell into awed silence.

Disappointment for Axel Bourlon

Unfortunately, his first attempt at 163 kilograms was declared invalid by two of the three judges. The video challenge upheld the decision, meaning he had to do better on his second attempt. Meanwhile, David Degtyarev of Kazakhstan cleared his first attempt at 184 kilograms to take the lead in the competition. An Nguyen of Vietnam withdrew after failing his first attempt at 168 kilograms.

Since his ranking was the lowest, Axel Bourlon decided to increase the weight for his second attempt.We don't really understand the decision on the first lift; I felt comfortable with that weight, so I decided to increase” he told reporters. The lift at 169 kilograms could have earned him a provisional fifth place. However, his execution, which he poorly controlled with his right arm, was invalidated by all three judges. Even the video challenge could not overturn the decision. With his head in his hands, Bourlon realized he had missed his chance. He would not return to the podium after Tokyo. Worse still, his third attempt, again at 169 kilograms, was another failure. Axel Bourlon would not even be included in the rankings.

“It's a big disappointment because that's not why I came here. I wanted a medal, and the best one possible. I'm leaving these Games empty-handed.,” he later admitted.

In the end, Kazakhstan’s David Degtyarev (188 kg) triumphed over Pablo Ramirez Barrientos (Cuba, 185 kg) and Jinglang Yang (China, 179 kg).