Alex Portal was 10 when he set his heart on rising to the very top after being captivated by the magic of London 2012.
Nine years later, the Frenchman twice made his way to the Paralympic rostrum when he won silver and bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games. Add to that an armful of world and European medals and Alex has come a long way since being introduced to the water aged five.
He followed in the slipstream of his grandmother - who was president of the Le Pecq club – as well as his sister and aunt and Alex in turn would be joined by younger brother Kylian. Both he and Kylian live with ocular albinism which causes visual impairment, meaning they cannot see clearly or perceive depth or distances, which can affect their turns and finishes.
Alex tried horse riding and tennis before he took to the water, telling Le Parisien: “I liked it, I had good feelings and for once, I didn’t need anyone to accompany me.” Alex initially participated in able-bodied competitions before switching to para swimming when he was 12.
He reached the European podium in 2018 before making his first trip to the world rostrum a year later.
In June 2023 he competed at the French Elite Championships, coming seventh in the 200m butterfly in a field topped by five-time world champion Leon Marchand.
Weeks later Alex flew to the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester where the Portal brothers shared the podium in the 400m freestyle S13 as Alex won gold and Kylian the bronze.
Next stop is the Paris Olympics with Alex revealing his greatest wish to the French Swimming Federation. “Even if I have to reach full sporting maturity in Paris in 2024, even if I aim to get on the podium, my biggest dream would be to participate with my brother.”
