Arnaud Assoumani

Monsieur Plus, The Man with the Golden Arm [because of the golden coloured prothesis he wears when competing], Jariath [his DJ name]. (athletisme-handisport.org, 19 Dec 2011; handicap.fr, 11 Apr 2014; lasueur.com, 16 Mar 2017)

Cinema, Samba, Brazilian music and playing the repinique [a Brazilian drum]. (arnaudassoumani.com, 15 Sep 2016)

Ethiopian long-distance runner Haile Gebrselassie, French athlete Ladji Doucoure. (Facebook page, 07 Mar 2016; Facebook page, 09 Feb 2017)

In November 2019 he tore a muscle in his right calf while warming up ahead of his event at the world championships in Doha, Qatar. He was able to compete but later took time off from competition, returning in March 2020. (handisport.org, 12 Nov 2019; Facebook profile, 03 Mar 2020, 20 Dec 2019)

In November 2018 he suffered from bursitis [inflammation] in his left heel. (le10sport.com, 04 Sep 2019)

In 2017 he was affected by a knee injury but it did not prevent him from competing at the 2017 World Championships in London, England. (le10sport.com, 04 Sep 2019)

In October 2016 he suffered from two patellar tendon fissures in his right leg. (Facebook page, 07 Oct 2016)

In January 2016 he suffered from plantar fasciitis [heel pain]. (ouest-france.fr, 05 Sep 2016)

In June 2015 he suffered from a hamstring injury which resulted in him being unable to be selected for the 2015 World Championships in Doha, Qatar. He completed his rehabilitation from the injury in late September that year. (Facebook page, 02 Sep 2015)

In May 2014 an Achilles tendon injury prevented him from competing. (Facebook profile, 31 May 2014)

His preparations for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London were disrupted by an Achilles tendon injury. (afrosomething.com, 19 Jul 2012)

In 2007 he had patella femoral syndrome [knee pain] for about 10 months. (arnaudassoumani.blogspot.com, 02 Oct 2008)

In March 2004 he fell on a fence while training, bruising his heel, and was told not to walk on it for a month. When he returned to training he felt back pain, which affected him during the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. (arnaudassoumani.blogspot.com, 02 Oct 2008)

In 2008 he received the French Legion of Honour after his performances at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (insep.fr, 15 Apr 2016)

His bronze medal in the T47 long jump at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro made him the first French Para athlete to have won four medals in long jump at the Paralympic Games. His silver medal in the T46 Triple Jump at the 2012 Games in London was also France's first Paralympic medal in triple jump. (SportsDeskOnline, 01 Mar 2021)

He was the first French Para athlete to win a medal at the French national able-bodied athletics championships. He won a bronze medal in long jump at the 2010 French indoor championships. (a-speakers.fr, 28 Jan 2019; insep.fr, 15 Apr 2016)

His father was a basketball player and a football goalkeeper. His mother played volleyball at regional level. (arnaudassoumani.blogspot.com, 02 Oct 2008)

To win gold at the 2020 and 2024 Paralympic Games. (le10sport.com, 04 Sep 2019; sportbuzzbusiness.fr, 22 Jul 2020)

He was born without a left forearm. (runinlive.com, 26 Feb 2010)

TOKYO MILESTONE
If he competes at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, he will become the second French Para athletics competitor, after Pierre Fairbank, to compete at five editions of the Paralympic Games. In 2020 he wrote an open letter to French and international media, asking for better coverage of Paralympic sport in the media. "We are asking for more recognition, for the Paralympics to be shown live on television. We aren't asking for equality [with the Olympic Games] as that is unrealistic, but to simply be better recognised for our efforts, so that people in France can see on the television our Games and understand better their importance. This is not just a message for France, but for all the world's media." (sport24.lefigaro.fr, 20 Mar 2020; SportsDeskOnline, 01 Feb 2021)

MUSIC MAN
He enjoys making and performing music under the name Jariath, and studied music production at the Dubspot Music Academy in New York City, NY, United States of America. While living in Brazil for four months between 2017 and 2018, he studied at Salgueiro Samba School in Rio de Janeiro, and took part in the 2018 Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. "I've been doing Brazilian music since 2007 - batucada, samba. My dream was to parade at the carnival in Rio, and I was able to realise this dream in 2018. I stayed for four months in Rio, I learned Portuguese, I trained with Salgueiro, then I played and paraded with the school in the Sambodrome in front of 90,000 spectators. It was amazing. I also create music on my own. I write, compose, produce and sing. I released an EP in 2017 under the name Jariath. I'm currently working on an album for 2021." (le10sport.com, 04 Sep 2019; LinkedIn profile, 01 Jun 2017; leparisien.fr, 17 May 2017; sportbuzzbusiness.fr, 22 Jul 2020)

RETIREMENT THOUGHTS
He has begun to think about life after sport, saying he wants to pursue a career as an entrepreneur, while also staying involved in Para sport. "I see myself continuing in entrepreneurship, supporting companies. Well-being in business, diversity, the environment, to show that we can be more efficient by bringing in more ethics. Bringing philanthropy and altruistic ambition to companies and society is what I already do in the form of speeches, seminars and workshops. I want to continue to invest in projects that make sense to me. I also have a podcast and YouTube channel project, inviting inspiring people who innovate and seek to provide solutions in their respective fields to comment on the complex problems of our time. I will also always keep a foot in the world of sport. I want to share my experience." (sportbuzzbusiness.fr, 22 Jul 2020)