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Lucas Mazur: 🇫🇷 The French Para Badminton Star is Ready to Compete on Home Soil
Crafting Champions spotlights Para athletes excelling in their sports, offering an inside look at what it takes to become a champion. The series captures their journeys, from overcoming immense challenges to training for the podium. Witness their inspiring stories of resilience, dedication, and triumph as they gear up for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. In this episode, we feature the extraordinary journey of Para badminton star Lucas Mazur. As one of the top athletes in his sport, Mazur is preparing to shine at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. With Paris set to host 4,400 athletes competing in 549 medal events from 28 August to 8 September, Mazur aims to add another gold to his collection at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena. After winning gold in men’s singles SL4 and silver in mixed doubles SL3-SU5 at Tokyo 2020, Mazur feels the weight of representing his country on home soil. “I feel proud to host the Games in my country,” Mazur shares. “But it also means a lot of pressure and expectations from everyone around me.” Unlike Tokyo, where the stands were empty due to the pandemic, Paris will offer Mazur the chance to perform in front of friends and family, making his journey even more special. Mazur's Para badminton journey began over 15 years ago at school. Competing in the SL4 category, he has always dreamed of standing on the highest podium. Reflecting on his historic gold medal at Tokyo 2020, Mazur recalls the pride it brought to him and his community. “Being a Paralympic champion changed my life,” he says. As Paris 2024 approaches, Mazur is not just focused on his performance but also eager to embrace the full experience of the Games. He looks forward to the unique Opening Ceremony, meeting athletes from around the world, and inspiring the next generation to take up Para sports. “Having a disability is not a problem. If you follow your dream, you can do anything,” Mazur declares.
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About the Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are the largest global sporting event for athletes with disabilities and have taken place every four years since the inaugural edition in Rome, Italy, in 1960. In 1976, the first Winter Games were held in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden and featured 198 athletes from 16 countries.
Following the 1988 Games in Seoul, Republic of Korea, and the Winter Games in Albertville, France in 1992, the Paralympic and Olympic Games have been held in the same city. The next Paralympic Games will be held in Paris in 2024, followed by LA28 and Brisbane 2032. The next winter edition is Milano Cortina 2026.
About the IPC
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is the global governing body of the Paralympic Movement. Founded on 22 September 1989 as a non-profit organisation, we aim to be athlete-centred and membership-focussed in all our endeavours.
Through partnerships with more than 200 member organisations, we leverage Para sport to advance the lives of the 1.2 billion individuals with disabilities across the globe.
Paralympics history
Sport for athletes with an impairment has existed for more than 100 years. It was not until after World War II, however, that it was widely introduced. The purpose of it at that time was to assist the large number of war veterans and civilians who had been injured during wartime.
On 29 July 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann organised a competition for wheelchair athletes at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Great Britain. Sixteen injured servicemen and women took part in archery at the inaugural Stoke Mandeville Games, which later became the Paralympic Games.
What is classification?
Classification is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement; it determines which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how athletes are grouped together for competition. In Para sports, athletes are grouped by the degree of activity limitation resulting from the impairment. This, to a certain extent, is similar to grouping athletes by age, gender or weight.
Classification aims to minimise the impact of the impairment on athletes' performance so that the sporting excellence determines which athlete or team is ultimately victorious. Ensuring that athletes are classified prior to competing is crucial to safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the competition.
What are the Paralympic sports?
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) recognises a total of 28 Paralympic sports. The 22 summer sports are Para archery, Para athletics, Para badminton, blind football, boccia, Para canoe, Para cycling, Para equestrian, goalball, Para judo, Para powerlifting, Para rowing, shooting Para sport, sitting volleyball, Para swimming, Para table tennis, Para taekwondo, Para triathlon, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis.
Winter sports include Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.
