Paralympics, in France égalité also in prizes

Égalité in everything. And in France it can only be so. History says it, the present demands it. The French committee will award French Paralympic athletes the same prizes received by their colleagues at the Games: 80,000 euros for gold, 40,000 for each silver and 20,000 for each bronze. For France, it is a habit that began in Beijing 2008, while for other countries it is a choice that begins with Paris. This is what will happen to medallists from Belgium, Canada, Spain. And there will be equal treatment between Great Britain's Paralympic medallists and British medallists at the Games: no monetary reward. Again, égalité! While there is an increase in rewards from those committees, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan, which already offer very high rewards to their Olympic champions (700,000 euros for Hong Kong's gold medallists in Paris 2024).

The Italian Paralympic Committee has also raised its prizes: 100 thousand euros to gold medallists, 55 thousand to silver medallists and 35 thousand to bronze medallists, still lower than the figures for Team Italy's champions in recent weeks (180 thousand euros for gold medallists, 90 thousand euros for silver medallists, 45 thousand euros for bronze medallists). But something is changing and the efforts of the CIP are daily. These medals are certainly a great recognition for our athletes who, from 2022, can also count on the possibility of joining and being recruited by the State Corps (Fiamme Oro, Fiamme Azzurre and Fiamme Rosse) and by the Defence Paralympic Sports Group: a step of true parity between the worlds of sport and the possibility for Paralympic athletes, once they have joined the military corps, to better plan their training and really concentrate on their sport. Their value, as always, is almost laughable but the certainty remains of taking home a piece of the Eiffel Tower: the maison Chaumet, which designed them, made this choice using material from the late 19th century that had been set aside in anticipation of a future renovation. Which will now travel the world and forever.