Portal was born on 12 February 2002 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France.[1] He and his younger brother Kylian were both born with ocular albinism, a condition resulting in poor eyesight.[2][3] Alex began swimming at age five at the club CN Pecq, and later began competing at age seven with the club Cercle des nageurs de l'ouest in Saint-Germain-en-Laye.[1] He attended the business school Ecole de Management Léonard De Vinci.[1]
Portal initially competed against non-disabled swimmers, before registering for para swimming in 2016. He competed at the French national championships and qualified for the national team shortly after.[4] Classified as an S13 swimmer, Portal won two medals at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships.[1] He qualified for the 2020 Summer Paralympics and won two medals: a bronze in the 400m freestyle S13 and a silver in the 200m medley S13.[5][6] In September 2021, he was honored with the Ordre national du Mérite from the president.[7]
In 2022, Portal won four medals, including a gold, at the World Para Swimming Championships.[1] The following year, he won three gold medals and a silver at the world championships.[1] In the 400m freestyle event, in which he won gold, his brother Kylian also competed and won bronze.[8]
In December 2023, Portal and his brother received scholarships from the city of Saint-Germain-en-Laye for €5,000.[9] In 2024, a sign was installed at the entrance of the city to celebrate the two brothers' accomplishments.[9] At the 2024 European championships, Alex won four medals.[1] Both he and his brother were selected for the 2024 Summer Paralympics.[9] At the Paralympics, Alex won four medals – silver in the 100m butterfly, silver in the 400m freestyle, silver in the 200m medley and bronze in the 100m backstroke.[10] In the 400m freestyle, he placed one spot above his brother Kylian, the bronze medalist.[11][12]
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