Paris 2024: Para swimmer Ugo Didier shines in the City of Light

French swimmer Ugo Didier has been a standout performer at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, thrilling the crowd at La Defense Arena. The 22-year-old has already won gold in the men’s 400m S9 freestyle and silver in the 100m S9 backstroke. Every time Didier competes, the home crowd goes wild, adding to the electric atmosphere in the arena.

Didier still has one more event to go – the heats for the men’s 200m individual medley S9. He’s excited for another chance to impress the crowd.

After winning silver, Didier said, “It’s unbelievable. I’m very proud of the crowd, and I hope I’ve made them proud too. I’m happy to share this moment with everyone.”

Didier first gained attention as a teenager when he won the 100m backstroke S9 at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City. Over the years, he has won several silver medals, including at Tokyo 2020, where he also won a bronze. But at Paris 2024, Didier finally won gold in the 400m freestyle, beating Italy’s Simone Barlaam. This was France’s first gold medal of the games, making Didier a favorite among the French fans.

He said, “The cheering helped me a lot. I don’t think I could have won without the crowd. It was a tactical race. I knew I needed to catch up in the second half. I’m happy with the medal, but the emotions and sharing it with my family and friends mean more to me than the gold. These are happy tears. The pressure is off now.”

Four days later, Didier won silver in another event, finishing behind Yahor Shchalkanau. He said, “I’m happy with the silver, even though it was a tough day. This morning was hard, but I’m glad with the result.”

Didier hopes that the success of the Paris 2024 Paralympics will help make Para sports more visible and accessible in France.