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The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) has congratulated our Paralympians for the way they’ve represented the nation on the world stage.
Australia finished the Paris 2024 Games in ninth place on the medal tally with 18 gold, 17 silver, and 28 bronze medals.
Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins OAM said there was much to celebrate.
“Our Paralympians could not have asked for a better event to showcase their talents to the world, with Paris excelling as a welcoming and inclusive host city,” Mr Perkins said.
“The past 12 days have been a triumph of the human spirit with the Australian team doing the nation proud.
“Seeing our new golden girl of the pool, Alexa Leary, shine, watching Lauren Parker make history as the first gold medallist across two sports in over fifty years, and James Turner blow his competition away on the track have been some of the many highlights.
“Combined with the incredible Olympics before it, Paris has truly been an unforgettable host city with performances that have inspired the country.
“We acknowledge that this was our smallest Paralympic team in two decades and the medal count is lower than past Games. This was not unexpected, and our work has already begun to address the structural and systemic barriers in Australian Para sport that have led to this.
“Our high performance sport system is more united than ever through Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy and the shared commitment to win well.
“Central to the strategy is reducing historical inequity of opportunity for Para athletes and laying a foundation for sustainable success.
“We thank the Australian Government for their record investment that doubles the existing support to the Para sport system to enable the sector to create an environment that allows our athletes to reach their potential.
“This environment will depend on world class coaching, and I am proud of the new AIS initiative, Project Para, which will not only support and elevate the coaches currently supporting our Paralympians, but also work to double the number of Para coaches by 2032.
“To Australian Paris 2024 Paralympic Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin, Paralympics Australia Interim CEO Cameron Murray and President Alison Creagh, and all the staff who supported our athletes during the Games – thank you.
“And finally, to our athletes, Paralympians and Olympians alike. Your athletic feats, fair play, and teamwork over the past few months have inspired a nation and we are so very proud of you.”
By: ASC
Published: 11 September 2024
