“We don't want it to stop”: Toulouse's Olympic and Paralympic champions welcomed like rock stars

Around ten thousand people celebrated this Wednesday, September 18 in Toulouse on the unmissable Place du Capitole the Olympic and Paralympic heroes of the Ville Rose, including swimmer Léon Marchand and rugby player Antoine Dupont, by far the first in the applause meter.

“It's special. I have celebrated in the United States, in Paris, almost everywhere, but not in Toulouse, my favorite city,” appreciated Marchand, a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

“Toulouse has supported us in sport for a long time”, he added. “I think the day I won, the Capitol was lit up in blue-white-red, that says it all.”

The 22-year-old swimmer, who will not return to the United States until the end of the year, resumed training at the beginning of the week with his long-time club, the TOEC Dolphins, after having “taken a long time to come down from (his) little cloud.”

The other Toulouse headliner, Dupont, was more accustomed to the celebrations of the Place du Capitole, to which he is entitled after each trophy won by Stade Toulousain.

"It's always a pleasure to see this square filled with such proud and happy people, but it has a different flavor this time with this medal around his neck", said the Olympic rugby sevens champion.

“Less publicized sports will perhaps fall back into oblivion”

After greeting the crowd from the balconies of the Capitol, the twenty or so athletes went down to the square, where they were each cheered in turn under a beautiful late summer sun.

The young goalkeeper of the “Téfécé” Guillaume Restes and boxers Sofiane Oumiha and Billal Bennama, all silver medallists, shared the stage with Paralympic champions Ugo Didier (swimming) and Lucas Mazur (badminton).

Led by Marchand, the Toulousains won a total of ten medals at the Olympic Games, on a par with countries such as Sweden and Kenya.

“They contributed to the city's influence and gave it a great image of dynamism”, praised Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc.

Already celebrated in Paris last weekend, the athletes took advantage of this new moment of communion, with a certain hint of nostalgia at the idea that it might be the last.

“We know that we will soon each return to our own side. Less publicized sports will perhaps fall back into oblivion”, regretted Oumiha. “So obviously, we don't want it to stop”.