Paris 2024: World champ de La Forest aims for first medal in sixth Games
The Frenchman hopes for success on home soil in an intriguing shooting Para sport competition 29 Aug 2024
Tanguy de La Forest, the former CEO of the French Paralympic Committee, is targeting a first shooting Para sport medal on home soil in what is his sixth Paralympic Games.
De La Forest arrives at Paris 2024 as a two-time R9 world champion, and is one of a host of fascinating stories to follow in a captivating event.
Shooting Para sport made its Paralympic debut at the Toronto 1976 Games. At Paris 2024, 160 shooters will compete in rifle and pistol events from distances of 10m, 25m and 50m, placing a series of shots as close as possible to the centre of the targets. The competitions can take up to three hours, requiring plenty of stamina and nerve control.
Depending on the event and the sport class, athletes compete in a kneeling position, standing (or in a wheelchair or on a shooting seat if they are unable to stand) or prone, where athletes in a wheelchair can use an elbow support table.
Athletes will aim for medals at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre in central France. The unique venue was inaugurated in 2018 and is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. With several shooting ranges, it is a perfect venue to host all 13 Paralympic events and will continue to be used for international events after the Games.
At Tokyo 2020, China topped the medal table, winning four of the 13 gold medals and finishing in second place twice. However, athletes from 17 nations came away from the Japanese capital with a medal and will be looking to do it again as the week of action in Chateauroux starts on 30 August.
Five stories to follow
Can de La Forest get his first Paralympic medal at home?
The former CEO of the French Paralympic Committee is making his sixth Games appearance but has yet to win a Paralympic medal.
This time, however, de La Forest comes as a twice R9 world champion, having claimed gold medals in mixed 50 metres rifle prone SH2 and R4 mixed 10m air rifle standing SH2 at the 2023 World Shooting Para Sport Championships in Lima, Peru. Now the 46-year-old will aim to get on his first Games podium in front of a home crowd.
Lekhara leads Indian chase for glory
At Tokyo 2020, teenager Avani Lekhara made history as she won the R2 women's 10m air rifle standing SH1, becoming India's first female Paralympic gold medallist
Lekhara's impressive 249.6 points, equalling the world record, was followed by a show by Danish Narwal in the mixed 50m pistol SH1 final where he shot a Paralympic record of 218.2 points for the gold.
India finished third in the medal table with a total of five podium finishes and will be looking to improve on that at Paris 2024 as Lekhara and Narwal come to defend their titles.
Narwal said he wants to "win more Paralympic medals for my country and family" but that the most important thing for him is his performance.
He added: "I'm aiming for another successful performance, whether it's for gold or not."
Vadovicova aims for new victories
Slovakia's six-time world champion Veronika Vadovicova is one of the legends of shooting Para sports. The 41-year-old making her seventh Games appearance will be looking to add to her six Paralympic medals – four of which are gold – as she hopes to defend her mixed R6 50m rifle prone SH1 title from Tokyo 2020.
In the final three years ago, Vadovicova emerged the winner signing off just 0.4 points ahead of Sweden's Anna Normann. It will take another strong performance for Vadovicova to make it to the top of the podium in Paris.
Alaryani seeks further triumphs
Veteran shooter Abdulla Sultan Alaryani carried the hopes of the United Arab Emirates at Tokyo 2020 after the nation's able-bodied shooters had failed to perform at the Olympic Games - and delivered.
Alaryani won his nation's first gold medal at Tokyo 2020, triumphing in the R7 mixed 50m air rifle 3 positions SH1 finals. The 55-year-old star, who won a gold medal at London 2012 but had to settle for three silver medals at Rio 2016, will look to add more glory to his medal tally as he clashes with his close 50m rifle 3 positions rivals, Rio 2016 champion Laslo Suranji of Serbia and Republic of Korea's Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Shim Youngjip, at the Chateauroux Shooting Centre.
Alaryani said: "I will participate in 10m standing shooting and 50m shooting, both in rifle, and my goal is to achieve golds, God willing.
"The greatest motivation over the years is that I am a representative of my country, which gave me everything and supported me in every way. Therefore, I can never let my country down and I will do everything I can to raise the flag on the podium."
Chinese legends ready for new showdown
China's rifle greats Zhang Cuiping and Dong Chao made it three titles in a row after triumphing in style at Tokyo 2020. Dong won the R1 men's 10m air rifle standing SH1 with a Paralympic record score of 246.4 points. Zhang was invincible in the R8 women's 50m rifle 3 positions final as she completed a hat trick of consecutive titles in the event.
Leading a team of Chinese favourites in several shooting events at Paris 2024, Zhang will be looking to add to her five Paralympic gold medals as she and Dong hope to extend their unbeaten run into a fourth Games.
