The Belgian Paralympic Committee (BPC) has declared its ambition to outdo its Tokyo performance at the upcoming Paris Games.
The committee, represented by 29 athletes, announced this at a press conference on Wednesday, with Selma Van Kerm serving as the last-minute addition to the delegation heading to France’s capital this weekend.
The squad features 14 out of the 15 medalists from the Tokyo Paralympics. Top European and World champions, including Roger Habsch, a double bronze medalist in the 100m and 200m wheelchair races in 2020, targeting gold, will be part of the team effort.
Selma Van Kerm (class T37) has been notably enlisted to compete in the 400m race. Meanwhile, Martin Clobert (class T12) for marathons and Man-Kei To (class WH1) for badminton will represent Belgium in these events for the first time since the Rio de Janeiro games in 2016.
Olek Kazimirowski. Credit: Belga
Marc Vergauwen, Chairman of the BPC, expressed that the athletes are eager to share this experience with their loved ones, with only days remaining to the Paris games.
The Committee expressed delight at public enthusiasm for the Paralympics, with the anticipation pointing to packed stadiums with over three million spectators being expected, as stated by Olek Kazimirowski, Managing Director and Chief of Mission of the BPC.
Considering this anticipation, "it is reasonable to hope for an even better score than three years ago, both in terms of medal numbers and colour," said Kazimirowski. However, he acknowledged the unique context of the Games and stressed the need to perform on the day to be among the best.
The Paralympic Games will take place in Paris from 28 August to 8 September.
