Heard of Alexis Hanquinquant, Diede de Groot or Omara Durand? Or are you aware of the fact that the Brazilian blind football team also boasts of a penta (five), like the number of Fifa World Cups won by the Samba boys, as they have won the Paralympics gold every time since the event was introduced in Athens 2004? Welcome to the league of these extraordinary men and women as the Paris Paralympics is set to kick off on Wednesday. There is a hidden story about nearly everyone of the nearly 4500 para athletes who will be vying for their moment in the sun across 22 disciplines – and that’s what makes the quadrennial showpiece so special. Here, we try to cherrypick five of them: Omara the unbeatable Omara Durand, the Cuban sprinter, has the credentials to enjoy a super athlete’s tag in Paralympics if there is one.
She had proved unbeatable at every Paralympic Games, as well as World Championships since her injury-marred Paralympic debut at Beijing 2008. Her current medal tally adds up to eight gold medals: including hat-tricks in the 100m, 200m, and 400m at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. At Paris 2024, Durand will be racing for another clean sweep in her signature distances and also trying to improve on the world records she currently holds in these events.
The Brazilian football team had been invincible in Paralympics so far (photo courtesy: International Paralympic Committee) (photo courtesy: International Paralympic Committee) Brazilian blind football team: The Invincibles Anyon.