Celine Vinot is gearing up to compete in her first Paralympics, with hopes high for Australia’s first para-badminton medal in Paris.
Para-badminton made its Paralympic debut in Tokyo, featuring both standing and seated athletes. Vinot, who will compete in the SL3 classification for standing athletes, is set to make her debut in the sport this Friday (local time).
Vinot, 27, is expected to receive strong support from the home crowd. Her father is French, and her Australian mother has mobilized family members from Victoria to cheer her on. “I’m not sure how many will come, but my mum is organizing it, so I expect a lot of cousins,” Vinot told AAP. “My dad is one of five, and his siblings each have three or four children. Having such support and no language barrier will be wonderful.”
Vinot grew up speaking French at home and attended a bilingual school, giving her a sense of familiarity with the French environment. This should help her build on her recent performances at the world championships, where she finished fifth in singles.
Born with cerebral palsy, Vinot acknowledges her strong performances in previous competitions have boosted her confidence. “I’ve realized I can compete,” she said. “I’m confident in my abilities for the Games. If that results in a medal, it would be fantastic, but I don’t want to assume anything.”
She admits that playing in front of a large crowd in Paris is new to her. “If I perform well, there’s no reason I couldn’t medal, which would be great for the sport,” Vinot added.
