Paralympics 2024 in Paris: Markus Rehm with tailwind of a “great moment” to his gold mission

Markus Rehm goes into the long jump competition as the top favorite. However, he already experienced one of the best moments of his career at the beginning of the Paralympics in Paris.

On Wednesday evening (September 4, 2024), Markus Rehm will celebrate his fourth Paralympic title in the long jump. The 36-year-old is going into the competition with a special experience at his back: Rehm was allowed to be part of the opening ceremony as a torchbearer.

An experience that has had a lasting impact on the Bayer Leverkusen athlete. “When I think about it, I get goosebumps. It was such a great moment,” said Rehm in an interview with Sportschau. When he was asked if he wanted to take on the role, he “immediately agreed.”

Rehm will use the experience for the competition

He didn’t really know what his role as torchbearer would be. “But I thought to myself: Whatever the case, it’s definitely a great story and a great honor that they thought of me,” said Rehm. “I didn’t know what I had to do until the last moment. I just knew that I needed the sports prosthesis.” It wasn’t until he got there that Rehm found out exactly what he had to do.

In the end, everything went smoothly. A short video was enough to instruct the long jumper. What remains is “one of the most beautiful moments” of his career. “I feel incredibly honored.” A moment that should also help Rehm prepare for the competition. “It took me a while to process it. I’ll watch it again before the jump,” said Rehm. “I’m sure I’ll get emotional. I’ll use that before the competition.”

No “perfect jump” yet this season

A competition that will result in his fourth gold medal in the long jump. Rehm has just had a season in which he was “a long way from the perfect jump”. It is the little things that affect the long jump system.

“As an athlete, you have a very good feeling. And I think that there is still a small detail missing. As soon as we can create that in a competition, then we can go really far,” said Rehm, who is going into the competition full of optimism: “I know from previous years that there are phases where not everything comes together. And then within a short time, it goes through the roof again.

Rehm: The competition has become “really strong”

Rehm is also pinning his hopes on the track at the Stade de France for a top distance. “I’ve heard it’s supposed to be incredibly fast and really good. If you get good conditions, you can go far,” said the 36-year-old. The gold medal will by no means be a sure thing. In the past, Rehm sometimes had a lead of 60 centimeters or even a meter in major competitions.

Those days should be a thing of the past. Because the competition never sleeps. “They have become really strong. I have to get close to the perfect jump, or at least a very good jump. Otherwise it will be very tight,” says Rehm. But he doesn’t want to let anything stop him in his quest for gold. The unforgettable impressions of the Paralympics opening ceremony should help him in this.