After last week’s two gold medals won by cyclists, France now has two more Paralympic champions in this edition in Tokyo.
At the Izu Velodrome, cyclists Alexandre Leauté and Dorian Foulon paved the way for the French Paralympic team in the quest for gold. On Saturday and this Monday, two French athletes became Paralympic champions, here they are:
On Saturday, in the triathlon, Alexis Hanquinquant, the reigning triple world champion, lived up to his role as favorite by winning gold at his first Paralympic Games. The 35-year-old from Normandy lost his right leg below the knee after a workplace accident on a construction site in 2010. He finished nearly 4 minutes ahead of his direct competitor, Japanese athlete Hideki Uda, after the 750 m swim, 20 km bike ride, and 5 km run. “The plan went perfectly,” said Alexis Hanquinquant.
The fourth French gold medal arrived this morning, Monday, August 30, thanks to table tennis player Fabien Lamirault. Facing Polish player Rafal Czuper, the French defending champion won in 3 sets to 2, becoming the first in his category to win the title twice in a row. At 41, he claimed his fifth Paralympic medal. It’s a beautiful story for the native of Longjumeau, who became paraplegic after a car accident in 1997 and discovered table tennis in a rehabilitation center.
