PARIS – As Matt Simpson strolls off the goalball court, balls echo throughout the gymnasium. Simpson is sporting a black eye while his teammates continue practicing. The room is chaotic and the energy is high, but the most notable part of this room is that nobody is in it but Team USA Goalball.
For the first time, it’s all theirs.
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The United States delegation’s High Performance Center is a state-of-the-art training compound located in the quiet suburb of Eaubonne, 10 miles (15 kilometers) north of Paris.
U.S. Olympic athletes have had access to this type of exclusive facility since 2008. Now, Paralympians do, too.
“(The HPC) is one of the biggest changes I’ve seen,” said Dana Schoenwetter, games operations director at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. “The equity in the support to our Olympians and Paralympians, it’s been great.”
Track and field medalist Jarryd Wallace agreed that having access to the HPC this year is a significant upgrade.
“The best part about this experience compared to my first three games is having access to the High Performance Center,” said Wallace, who is competing in the long jump after representing the U.S. in the sprints in the Paralympics in Tokyo, Rio and London. “We get this facility to ourselves, Team USA, which is amazing.”
First-time Paralympians, like sitting volleyball libero Sydney Satchell, are also excited to have a space to train while connecting with U.S. athletes outside of their respective sports.
“It’s fun for somebody who is new to the Paralympic Games to meet new people, see people I’ve seen on commercials and billboards, but also get in that mindset, game ready,” Satchell said.
It’s all theirs
Six years ago, staff members from the USOPC traveled to Paris on the hunt for a facility to host one of the largest teams to compete in the Games. After two days and around 30 venue tours, they chose Athletica, a multisport training facility used by Eaubonne community members.
The facility underwent 27 million euros ($29 million) in improvements to become a regional high performance center for international teams, of which USOPC contributed approximately 10%, spokeswoman Annemarie Blanco said. The athletes village is 10 miles (15 kilometers) away, allowing easy travel between the facilities.
Exclusive access to the compound allows athletes to train on their own schedule. Around 8,000 athletes reside in the Paralympic Village and share approximately 300 pieces of equipment there, compared to a little over 200 U.S. athletes sharing a facility the size of a small college athletic department. Having all that real estate makes a difference.
“We have this court whenever we want, we don’t have to wrestle with the Chinese team for a court slot,” said goalball athlete Simpson. “We don’t have to worry about any logistics, we just show up and play.”
That is exactly what Schoenwetter and her team envisioned when deciding whether to keep the HPC open for the Paralympics.
“Giving them a competitive edge with their training and preparation for the Games, to us that’s important,” Schoenwetter said. “That’s why we’re here.”
When the games are over, Athletica will return to the Eaubonne community with the renovations a gift to the municipality from Team USA.
Bringing the comfort of home to Paris
The USOPC has specifically equipped the HPC with the same amenities available at the Colorado Springs facility, such as nutrition specialists, kinesthesiology services and sports psychologists. The goal is to ensure familiarity and stability in each athlete’s training regimen.
Simpson has worked with the same dietician, Kate Davis, for almost six years. He said a familiar face can establish normalcy in a new environment.
“Having her with us in practice and on the ground here, (she is) helping us develop the habits and knowledge necessary to really take those extra few percentages forward that really matter,” said Simpson. “It’s a way to feel comfortable, a way to stay on task, a way to stay in our routine even as everything around us changes.”
Despite these positives, Schoenwetter said that not all Paralympians have used the facility. Looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the USOPC is considering strategies to increase engagement and encourage Paralympians to take full advantage of the next HPC.
“Now moving forward to LA, we have a good base to kind of grow from and ways we can support better,” Schoenwetter said.
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Ana Escamilla and Julianna Russ are students in the undergraduate certificate program in the Carmical Sports Media Institute at the University of Georgia.
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AP Paralympics: https://apnews.com/hub/paralympic-games ___
This story was first published on Aug. 30, 2024. It was updated on Aug. 31, 2024, to correct the fact that the USOPC contributed about 10% of the 27 million euros ($29 million) invested in renovations, not the whole amount.