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It is fitting that David Weir’s final mile of Paralympic racing was a bumpy ride down the Champs-Elysees.
One of the first Paralympians to garner mass appeal, the Weirwolf has roared here for the last time as the 45-year-old revealed that Paris 2024 will be his final Games.
The wheelchair racing icon finished fifth in a gruelling marathon, more than two minutes shy of a first medal since London 2012.
Weir found one last ride down one of the most famous avenues in the world was a painful, not prideful, experience.
“It’s not the best feeling because we’ve got no suspension on our chairs,” he said. “It’s brutal to be honest. There are some smooth bits where it’s got a little bit of tarmac in between, but it’s just hit and miss.”
That is as good a metaphor as you will ever find for Weir’s entire career, spanning seven Paralympics.
Nearly selected for Barcelona 1992 as a 14-year-old, his first Paralympics could have been his last and he stepped away disillusioned by the sparse crowds at Atlanta 1996.
Revitalised by watching the success of Sydney at home on TV, Weir returned after a long time away to feature in Athens and win a crucial pair of medals over 100m and 200m.
“2012 was the big one, but before that Athens was the proudest moment,” said Weir, “to come back from having two or three years out and get on that podium.
“I didn’t think I’d ever do it and that gave me the stepping stone to want more and more. I think if I didn’t win there, I probably wouldn’t be here now.”
Weir became a household name with four golds at London 2012, cementing his legacy with the best possible performance at the best possible time.
At least in terms of results at the Games, his performances have nosedived since then and Rio 2016 was a miserable experience as he felt “stabbed in the back” by his team.
Once again, Weir stepped away and announced his first retirement in 2017 but life in the shadows has never been for him and he was back a year later chasing Tokyo.
He did not cut a happy figure three years ago either, railing against a lack of investment in his racing chair as he was overtaken by Swiss star Marcel Hug in a ‘Ferrari of a chair’.
Weir clocked his first 5000m personal best in 14 years earlier in 2024 to prove he is still a force, but the results were not forthcoming in Paris, finishing eighth in the 5000, going out in the heats of the 1500m and failing to figure at the sharp end of the marathon.
“I just think I’ve had a really tough week at my age,” he reflected. “Maybe I should have taken the decision just to do the marathon and I would have just come in yesterday and done it. But I got myself back up to the ranking list (in the 5km) and I’ve had a good year.”
Weir told team officials that he would announce his retirement in the immediate aftermath of the Paris marathon despite wife Victoria pleading with him not to.
“I’m proud and very emotional,” said Weir. “To span a career since 1996, I’ve been at the top of my game for a long time.
“I’ve had bad years and good years, but that’s just the way I’ve worked throughout my career. Rio was probably my worst Games.
“I’ve really enjoyed being here. The team’s been great. I want to thank the team, what they’ve done for me here, just looking after me and they’ve just been the best team ever. Always, always, always proud to wear the flag. It’s quite sad that I won’t wear it again.”
Weir will continue to nurture the next generation of wheelchair racing talent through his Weir Archer Academy, with academy product Marcus Perrineau-Daley winning 100m silver on debut in Paris.
Weir wants everyone to know that he is not retiring altogether and still plans to race on the World Marathon Majors circuit for the foreseeable future, starting in Berlin in two weeks’ time, followed by New York City and then the London Marathon next year, a race he has won eight times.
“I think I’ve got a good chance to come in the top three of these marathons,” he insisted.
The Paralympics will be poorer for the absence of Weir, his flinty presence bringing with it an air of greatness unmatched by any athlete to have worn British colours at the Games.
“Paris has been great, they’re passionate fans,” he said. “It has been one of the best Games since London and a good one to end on.
“I think there’s more that can be done. There are things that I feel are still a bit behind. I won’t say what, I’ll just tell the organisers what I think could be better.”
The Weirwolf, howling until the very end.
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