AS IRISH DUO Nicole Turner and Róisín Ni Riain contested Paralympic finals in Paris this evening, a certain Jurgen Klopp was watching on.
The former Liverpool manager was among the spectators at La Défense Arena, seated near a big Irish contingent.
📸 Paul McDermott, Sarah Keane, Lisa Clancy taking time to stop and pose for selfies with a super fan at La Défense Arena in Paris 🙌🏻#TheNextLevel | #Paris2024 | #TeamIreland pic.twitter.com/ES5AxgAP40
— Paralympics Ireland (@ParalympicsIRE) August 29, 2024
Klopp is supporting his long-time friend, New Zealand badminton player Wojtek Czyz, at the Games.
He watched Czyz lose his SL3 group game 2-0 to Great Britain’s Daniel Bethell at La Chapelle Arena earlier today.
Czyz is a former professional footballer, who at 21-years-old, sustained an injury that required his left leg to be amputated at the knee.
He went on to become a Paralympic long jump champion for Germany, before spending five years sailing around the world and helping amputees in remote places access prosthetics. His badminton journey began three years ago, at the age of 41.
The Guardian and The New York Times both tell Czyz’s story brilliantly, and detail the pair’s friendship, which stretches back to 2001.
“If I had time in the past, I would have shown up earlier but it is the first time in my life that I can come here,” Klopp said of his Paralympic experience so far.
“A nice part of this is that my good friend Wojtek is part of the Paralympics, so we can combine the two things.
“The stories behind the athletes are always special and my friend here is super special. That’s the only difference really. That’s what I love about sports, that it can change the world. Sometimes only for a moment and sometimes forever.
“In the Paralympic movement, there are obviously more hurdles to overcome [than at the Olympic Games], to show the young people and everyone what is possible. Whatever life has put in the hands for you, it is how you deal with it [that matters]. It’s super inspiring and I’m fully inspired by everything I’ve seen in the past few days.”
Klopp enjoyed watching Czyz play against “one of the best in the world” earlier on Thursday, and said it was an emotional experience.
“I sat next to Elena, his incredible wife, and we both had tears in our eyes. I know sports is always about a result and winning, but there’s much more behind that story. And Wojtek being here is so touching I couldn’t get my head around it.
“It’s the most inspiring story I’ve heard in my life. This story has to be told because it’s not normal. I know a lot of good people and nobody would’ve done it. That’s why it has to be told and that’s why I do it.
“He’s crazy. He is constantly doing things that I’m not brave enough to do. He only told me yesterday how easy it is to dive with sharks. I was like ‘Yes, I’ve heard it now but I still don’t do it’.”
Klopp added that last night’s spectacular opening ceremony at Place de la Concorde was “like a Taylor Swift concert — outstanding, just one-and-a-half hours too long”.
Ní Riain and Turner finished fourth and sixth in their respective finals.
Oh look, more nonsense that was manufactured about Rowntree and O’Mahony falling out last season. Glad it’s been put to bed and Rowntree has confirmed it was a load of bull
@5sZl1dX2: O’Mahony resigned as captain in November because he wasn’t getting his own way in Contact negotiations. Everyone in Munster and the media couldn’t explain and it came as a surprise to everyone. Of course O’Mahony fell out with Rowntree and Munster. He acted like a child resigning the captaincy showing no respect for the honour he had been given. Rowntree is hardly going to admit there was a falling out now At he start of the new season and reopen old wounds.
@Jimmy Bean: Rubbish, if they tried to give you a salary decrease in your job and you stood up for yourself, would you be acting as a child? It’s his job after all, and he should have been given more respect.
@james joyce: I have no problem with him sticking up for himself but he acted like a petulant child when he resigned the captaincy. He wasn’t on a central contact at the time and Munster offered what they thought a 34 year old flanker was worth.
There wasn’t any French clubs looking for his signature either. IRFU bailed Munster out in the end. That’s the real story.
@Jimmy Bean: why would O’Mahony fall out with Munster and Rowntree when it was the IRFU that we’re playing hardball with a central contract? Makes absolutely zero sense
@Jimmy Bean: How do you know all this as fact? Have you a source close to OMahoney?
@Jimmy Bean: he was on a central contract at the time. If there was a falling out, why would they offer him a contract and why would he accept it. You really are clueless
@Jimmy Bean: his captaincy resignation was nothing to do with his contract. it was to support legacy captain while he was still around. same thing Paul o connell did when POM took over. poc helped pom transition to the role. same way pom is helping beirne. you see it in the dressing room where alot of the time pom is doing the talking with beirne chipping in.
@Jimmy Bean: you talk like you have inside knowledge, which I doubt. Only the parties involved know the full story; the rest is supposition and speculation.
@John Buckley: He was finishing his central contact. Ireland were not offering him a new one at the time. Therefore Munster were footing the bill. In the end Farrell saved him by making him captain of the South Africa tour and IRFU stumped up a special contract which seems to have kept him happy.
Try to keep up. There’s a good lad.
Not exactly a forceful denial there, to be fair. Has been clear for quite some time there is tension between both men. O’Mahony is not a universally popular figure in Irish rugby circles – a bit like Jamie Heaslip. His behaviour towards Reggie Corrigan in that famous post match interview and that disgusting comment to Sam Cane mid game have no place in rugby – both reflect very poorly on Pete. I would definitely back Rowntree in this.
@Aidan Farrell: “His behaviour towards Corrigan” .. perhaps recalled Corrigan giving the MOM to Claremonts Joubert in Thomond Park despite Joubert being substituted and his team getting hammered by 20 points!! It’s a well known fact that Corrigan hates Munster.
@Aidan Farrell: behaviour towards Reggie? So ticking up for your teammates when their being questioned by a has been is now unacceptable behaviour m? Give me a break
@Aidan Farrell: you have to be the most clueless donkey on here, and that’s saying something.
Have to say POM has been poor the last couple of seasons only seems to b only interested getting involved in digs scraps and sledging than playing rugby
Not sure I buy what Rowntree is selling here. The pen story is true seemingly.