Cédric Nankin on the attack for a medal in wheelchair rugby at the Paralympic Games

It hit hard that evening in the Parisian Emile-Anthoine gymnasium, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. “Wheelchair rugby is a contact sport”, had warned Cédric Nankin, figure of the discipline in France. On the field, adapted chairs rush forward and collide with a crash. We are not far from seeing veneers on wheels. The double European champion with the French team trains with his partners from the Cap Saaa association. Wheelchair rugby is a speed sport, with “a try is scored every 15 to 20 seconds”. Spectacular and strategic. The ball is round to encourage exchanges.

In 10 months, the Château-Thierry resident, suffering from congenital limb agenesis, hopes to make France shine. The goal: to become Paralympic champion after failing at the previous games in Rio and Tokyo. The International Wheelchair Rugby Cup, from October 18 to 22 in Paris, will be for Cédric Nankin, not yet in his forties, a test in his preparation. The opportunity also to raise awareness of the sport in the wake of the Rugby World Cup and the Paralympic day organized this Sunday in Paris.

The growing pressure in view of Paris 2024 does not seem to reach him. However, we will soon have to move from the municipal gymnasium to the ephemeral Grand Palais a few hundred meters away, a cathedral site installed on the Champs de Mars where the Paralympic wheelchair rugby events will take place. Mars, god of warriors. Nanking has its winning philosophy: “Believe in your dreams and never give up. By giving yourself the means, you can do great things. Try to capitalize on it and continue to move forward.”