Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: Arnaud Assoumani, the athlete who will carry the flame to Cannes, has “rebuilt” himself in Montpellier

Arnaud Assoumani has found a second wind at Creps de Montpellier, where he has been training for more than two years. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Olympic long jump champion in 2008, the Parisian, settled in Montpellier two years ago, is an icon of disabled sports who will carry the flame, this Tuesday, May 21, at the Cannes festival, on D-100 of the Paralympics. He will compete in his 6th Games in Paris, "to change perceptions of disability." 

He embodies the art of transforming the lead of destiny into Olympic gold. Born in Orsay without a left forearm, long jumper Arnaud Assoumani has a track record that would make many “able-bodied” French athletes salivate: five Olympic medals including one gold in Beijing (2008), a podium at each Olympics, two world titles.

At 38 years old, the neo-Montpellier is not starting his sixth games in the shoes of a veteran who is preparing to fight one last fight. He has become an icon of a Paralympic world which is counting on these Paris Games to profoundly change the way we view disability. The proof: Arnaud, who was a film student, was chosen to carry the flame this Tuesday, May 21 on the steps of the Cannes festival.

6th at the Kobe world championships, this weekend

However, it is in Saint-Denis, at the beginning of September, that he intends to burst onto the screen again. This weekend, at the world championships in Kobe (Japan) played without any particular pressure, a 6th place (6m90) at length validated the good passing times of his preparation, only 35 cm from the podium. .

"This is my worst session in the two and a half years I've been training in Montpellier", he smiled after a session in the pouring rain on the Stade Philippidès track a few days ago. "No, seriously, it's been ten years since I've been this good. Rebuilding myself, that was the goal in coming here after my serious injury before the Tokyo Olympics.". A complete rupture of the tendon on his impulse leg, non-operable and which modified the physiology of his ischio. "It took me a year to come back, continues- he, I qualified for Tokyo but I missed out (8th), I wasn't in".

"These Games must serve as a catalyst"

The retirement in 2021 of his coach at Insep, Jean-Hervé Stievenart – since deceased in 2022 – had encouraged him to find a new training structure. "With Jocelyn Piat and his group, at Creps de Montpellier, it works well.&quot ; With a qualification in hand since October 2023 which allows him to be "focus on training", Arnaud will approach these 2024 Games with the objective of having fun because it's already extraordinary to be there, the performance will follow ;.

A new podium, or even gold, already sparkles in the corner of his mind. But for Arnaud the essential lies elsewhere. In the hope of seeing these Games serve as a catalyst to change views on people with disabilities. This is my driving force because there is still a lot to do on accessibility in transport, accommodation, education, work, at all levels."< /em>