With Orange and Paris 2024: Relive the Race that Changed the History of Athletics

Aug. 13, 2024

The Paris 2024 Paralympic Games are approaching, and although they are a major sporting event, they attract less attention than the Olympic Games. 

Less impressive, less performant, less spectacular prejudices about Paralympic sports are still numerous. 

So, to change the way people look at paralympic sports, Orange, a premium partner of the Paris 2024 Games, has launched a campaign to show that the greatest performances aren't always where you expect them to be, and to encourage as many people as possible to let themselves be carried away by sporting emotions whatever they may be. 

With the powerful and inclusive message "When you love sport, you love sport," Orange and Publicis Conseil have created a visual experience by juxtaposing the men's T13 1500m final at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games with that of the Olympic Games of the same year. 

The images are identical in every way, the tension at the start of the race, the suspense right up to the finish line and the explosion of joy right afterwards, yet there is a difference in this film.

At the end of the race, the film reveals a surprising truth: for the first time in history, a para-athlete finished 1.71 seconds ahead of the Olympic gold medalist. 

And that's not all; there are four para-athletes in total who achieved a better time than the Olympic champion.

This revelation highlights the excellence and exceptional performance of Paralympic athletes, defying all expectations and redefining the limits of sport.