French fan support at Paralympics gives athletes hope for future of disability sport

PARIS (AP) — Win or lose, the French fans are turning out and supporting the more than 4,000 Paralympians competing in Paris, especially their own team. These Paralympics sold more than 2.3 million tickets as of Monday, the latest count, according to Paris 2024 organizers. That puts it at No. 2 all time in terms of ticket sales for a Paralympic Games. Paris is behind only London’s 2.7 million in 2012, a moment generally regarded as a big victory in the disability sport community as it fights for visibility. Athletes see the fan support as a hopeful sign for the future.