Paris 2024 Paralympics | Para badminton - Lucas Mazur: "I hope that hard work will pay off"

Paralympic champion in men's singles SL4 in Para badminton at the Tokyo 2020 Games, France's Lucas Mazur is a serious contender to defend his title at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

He hopes the Porte de la Chapelle Arena will be his lucky charm. With just a few days to go before the start of the competitions on 29 August, the Tokyo Paralympic champion in Para badminton, Lucas Mazur, wants to make it two in a row at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

"I guess I am (in good shape) because I've worked a lot, very hard, in the past weeks", he says, explaining that he's "trying to learn from the Tokyo experience."

The Frenchman was also silver medalist in the SL3-SU5 mixed doubles with Faustine Noël in Japan. It's a memory that will give him plenty of confidence ahead of Paris: "It was at the end of the Paralympics in Tokyo so a lot of French staff from the other sports came to support me. I got a bit of noise there and it was amazing for me."

The 26-year-old Para badminton player is hoping that Paris 2024 will offer him even more excitement, especially after hearing the atmosphere he experienced at the Olympic Games just a few weeks ago: "I was very proud and happy with my friends in the French badminton team because we could hear the crowds and feel the support for the French players, even on TV. It looked amazing and I really hope it will be the same for us. I feel very excited and proud for France to host the Paralympic Games. I look forward to playing in this beautiful arena."

New arrangements for Lucas Mazur, with one goal firmly in mind

With his first match approaching on 29 August in the mixed doubles with Faustine Noël against an Indonesian pair, the Frenchman hopes to have made the right choices in his preparation.

"Two or three months ago, I changed coach and place of training. I came back to my club training and it's been very different. I've learned a lot from myself and the environment. I didn't feel 100% confident with my coach so I wanted to stand with someone who was on my side to fight with me. I feel that I'm not alone on the court now and that we are together. I am sure it will work very well," he said.

He continues: "The biggest challenge is to find my way and to accept the up-and-down moments. Sometimes I will maybe be at my prime time and a few moments later I will be in a difficult situation. I have to manage both kinds of moments so I will try to stay relaxed because I've had some great training in the past month. I hope that hard work will pay off.

I must focus on my competition. I know that the crowd will be supporting me. I'm excited to hear and feel this support because we have never felt anything like this before."

At the Paris 2024 Games, Lucas Mazur will be up against India's Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj, his biggest rival in the category. With the support of his fans and the arrangements he has made to shine, the Frenchman nevertheless wants to keep his feet on the ground: "We faced each other a lot of times. I guess it will be a new final for us but right now I am trying to stay focused and take it step by step. First of all, we have the group matches, so I am very focused on my opponents there."