Edgar Grospiron supports the inclusion of Adapted Sport at the 2030 Winter Paralympics in the French Alps
A statement that could mark an important step forward for inclusion within the Paralympic movement.
In an interview published by Le Figaro on March 10, 2026, Edgar Grospiron, President of the French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee, spoke about the possibility of including athletes with intellectual disabilities in the Winter Paralympic Games.
This position confirms that the inclusion of Adapted Sport athletes is now part of the discussions surrounding the organisation of the 2030 Winter Paralympic Games in the French Alps.
Edgar Grospiron: “The mountains must be accessible to everyone”
In the interview, Edgar Grospiron emphasized France’s ambition to make the French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games a pioneering event capable of driving progress within the international sports movement.
“For the Paralympics as well as the Olympics, we have the ambition to be pioneers. I am thinking in particular about the integration of athletes with intellectual disabilities, which is part of our reflections. We are not the decision-makers, but we are in favour of it, because the mountains must be accessible to everyone.”
The President of the French Alps 2030 Organising Committee also explained that discussions are currently underway with the sports movement and international governing bodies to assess the feasibility of such a development, including its operational and financial implications.
This statement represents an encouraging signal for all those working toward a more inclusive sports environment.
The French Alps 2030 Paralympic Games: a historic opportunity for inclusion
The 2030 Winter Paralympic Games in the French Alps represent a unique opportunity to move the Paralympic model forward.
Today, Adapted Sport athletes — athletes with intellectual disabilities, psychosocial disabilities, or autism spectrum disorders — already compete at a high international level.
They participate in world championships and international competitions organised by Virtus, the global sports federation for athletes with intellectual impairments.
These athletes:
- train year-round,
- have internationally recognised classification systems,
- compete in world-level competitions,
- achieve high-level performances.
Yet despite this well-established international structure, they are still absent from the Winter Paralympic programme.
Adapted Sport and the Paralympic Games: an issue of equality
Including Adapted Sport events in the French Alps 2030 Winter Paralympic Games would represent a major step forward for equality in sport.
Such a development would:
- recognise the performances of athletes with intellectual disabilities,
- strengthen inclusion within the Paralympic movement,
- send a strong message to the international sports community.
The Paris 2024 Games already helped change perceptions of disability and Paralympic sport. The French Alps 2030 Games could extend this legacy by becoming a global model for truly inclusive Games.
A decision that lies with the International Paralympic Committee
While Edgar Grospiron’s statement marks an important step in the debate, the final decision does not lie with the French Alps 2030 Organising Committee.
The inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities in the Paralympic Games falls under the authority of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and the relevant international sports federations.
Discussions are therefore continuing at the international level to explore the conditions under which the Paralympic programme could evolve.
#InclusiveGames2030: a citizen movement for the French Alps 2030 Games
For several months, the #InclusiveGames2030 statement has been mobilising citizens, athletes, elected representatives and public figures in support of the inclusion of Adapted Sport athletes in the 2030 Winter Paralympic Games in the French Alps.
This citizen initiative is built around a simple conviction:
high-level sport should be accessible to all athletes, regardless of the type of disability.
With four years to go before the French Alps 2030 Paralympic Games, France has an opportunity to help write a new chapter in the history of inclusive sport.