Road to Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: Mauritius at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships

The Wait

Mauritius’ road to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games has been a journey filled with determination and hope. For years, a medal at the Olympic or Paralympic Games seemed like a distant dream. The nation’s hopes rested on athletes like Eric Milazar and Stéphan Buckland, who came close but never quite reached the podium. That long wait finally ended at the 2008 Olympics when boxer Bruno Julie won a bronze medal in the bantamweight (-54kg) category, marking Mauritius’ first and only Olympic medal to date.

Elite!

Fast forward to the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships on the 14^th of July 2023. Whilst France was celebrating the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille, Mauritius was hit by a different kind of storm. A storm that neither the Mauritius Meteorological Services nor Afzal’s radar picked up despite its straight trajectory.

In an epic 100m T54 final, Noemi Alphonse stormed towards a historic silver medal for Mauritius at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships. The podium featured the Championship record holder Amanda Kotaja from Finland, the African record holder Noemi Alphonse, and the World record holder Tatyana McFadden from the USA.

The following day, Noemi once again proved her mettle in the 400m T54 final, claiming a bronze medal. Competing against the Championship record holder Manuela Schaer from Switzerland and the World record holder Tatyana McFadden, Noemi showed that her success was no fluke. Her achievements at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships firmly established her as one of the top athletes to watch at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. What Say You? Elite pa elite?

Remontada

Most if not all football fans are familiar with the term remontada. Well, Mauritius has its own remontadhino in Yovanni Philippe. Yovanni Philippe, in his debut at a major international competition, delivered two stunning final kicks in back-to-back 400m T20 races. His performance echoed the famous comeback by Marc Raquil in the 400m final at the Paris 2003 World Athletics Championships (a race that featured Eric Milazar).

Yovanni set a new Championship and African record in his semi-final before clinching a bronze medal in the final, just 12 minutes after Noemi’s bronze in the 400m T54. Despite losing his Championship record to Brazil’s Samuel Olivera, who went on to win gold, Yovanni’s achievement remains a testament to his elite status. World record holder, Daniel Tavares from Brazil finished second.

So?

The journey of Mauritian athletes to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games did not start last year. It is the result of years of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication under the guidance of coaches like Jean-Marie Bhugeerathee. The performances of Noemi Alphonse and Yovanni Philippe at the Paris 2023 Para Athletics World Championships are a reflection of the high level these athletes have achieved.

Next

Stay tuned for our next installment, which will focus on the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe.