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

French Para swimming superstar Ugo Didier has been lighting up La Defense Arena and igniting the local crowd at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. 

The 22-year-old has already clinched gold and silver in his nation’s capital, winning the men’s 400m S9 freestyle and taking second place in the 100m S9 backstroke. 

Every time he has entered the magnificent swimming arena in the hub of Paris’ business centre, Didier has sent the home crowd wild, lifting an already pulsating atmosphere as his name reverberates around the arena. 

He still has one event remaining – heats for the men’s 200m individual medley S9 begin on Thursday – and another chance to raise the roof inside the La Defense Arena. 

"It's unbelievable,” Didier said of the crowd after his silver medal win. “We are very proud of this crowd.  

“I don't know if I make the crowd proud, but they make me proud. I am very happy to share with all these people.” 

Successive silvers.... but finally gold  

Didier burst onto the scene as an exciting teenager when he won the 100m backstroke S9 at the 2017 World Para Swimming Championships in Mexico City. 

He has gone on to win a host of silver medals down the years in the same competition, as well as at Tokyo 2020, where he also collected a bronze. 

But it was in Paris where he returned to the top of the podium in the 400m freestyle, beating Italy’s own swimming star Simone Barlaam into second place. 

It was France’s first gold medal of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, and immediately installed him as a favourite of the partizan home supporters. 

"It was unbelievable, the cheering for me helped me a lot,” he gasped after the race. “I don't think I could have done it without the crowd. 

"I know I do not have enough pressure to follow my opponents during the first metres so my plan was to try to catch them up in the second part of the race.   

"It was a tactical battle. He [silver medallist Barlaam] beat me three years ago, two years ago, one year ago, and today it was my turn. Second place was done for me.   

"I practise swimming not for the results. I am very happy for this medal but what it means to me is the emotions. To share with all my family and friends.   

"I have just seen my family and friends happy with me, happy with the results. That is what makes me happy, more than the gold medal. These are happy tears. It's been hard and now it's over. The pressure is falling off. 

"I think I will never swim with that type of crowd again."  

Lifted by the fans 

But four days later he did – and they roared just as loudly as he took second place behind Yahor Shchalkanau. 

Dider told media after the race: "I am happy with the silver medal because today was a hard day, a tough one. This morning I had a pretty bad feeling in the water.  

“In the body it was difficult, I had bad feelings in the water physically. I swum under my standard. It was a very hard day, a very hard journey.  

"I was looking for more this evening. I couldn't reach gold, but totally happy with the silver.” 

Now the crowd’s hero hopes that these Paralympic Games can prove a springboard for Para sports across France in the future. 

Didier added: "I hope that Paris 2024 will be something that improves the accessibility and visibility of Para sports and I am sure that it will."