The French shone for the third day of the Paralympic Games in Beijing this Monday, March 7. Arthur Bauchet and Cécile Hernandez brought two gold medals to the tricolor delegation, bringing its number of charms to five: three in gold, one in silver, one in bronze.
King Arthur
He is definitely the sensation of this start to the Games. Paralympic alpine skiing phenom Arthur Bauchet won his second title in three days on the super-combined. With a smile on his lips, the jovial 21-year-old athlete, originally from the Var and licensed at the Briançon ski club, gave a cry of joy on arrival.
“It’s just crazy to be able to ski here, after four years of preparation, it’s just awesomehe reacted. This medal, I really went to get it. »
“The goal was to break everything in the first round […] It’s perfect, even if physically it was very hard.”explained Arthur Bauchet, whose legs gave out after the finish.
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???? DOUBLE PARALYMPIC CHAMPION!
Because a gold medal is not enough, Arthur Bauchet wins this time the Super Combined AND WITH THE MANNER!#AllezLesBleus #Pékin2022 pic.twitter.com/luUmZMtuyZ
— Team France (@EquipeFRA) March 7, 2022
The athlete, who evolves in the standing category, suffers from spastic paraparesis, a disease which causes weakness and muscular contractures of the legs.
Quadruple silver medalist at the Pyeongchang Games at the age of 18 and double world champion in Lillehammer earlier this year, Arthur Bauchet beat Finland’s Santeri Kiiveri and New Zealander Adam Hall.
The consecration for Cécile Hernandez
Another great joy of the day on the French side for Cécile Hernandez, who at 47 won the first Paralympic title of her career, in snowboard cross. “I am very moved, because I really wanted this medal. It was a lot of fights and a lot of sacrifices”said in tears the athlete with multiple sclerosis.
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#pekin2022 Cécile Hernandez wins her first Paralympic title in Beijing and the first medal for snowboarding! ?? @TeamFRA ???? ! #TeamFra #Bleushandisport @CECILEHC pic.twitter.com/7JRqYFr0pF
— FFHandisport (@FFHandisport) March 7, 2022
“I dedicate this medal first of all to my mum, because I lost it just before taking the start. I look up to the sky for her. »
The Perpignanaise is also happy, with her title, to prove the resilience of people affected by her illness. “It is very important to show that we can overcome the barriers that multiple sclerosis imposes on us”she concluded.
The “frustration” of Marie Bochet
Disappointment on the other hand for the French star of Paralympic alpine skiing, Marie Bochet, still on the super combined. Third after the first Super-G event, she finally finished 5th after an error during the slalom which caused her to lose precious seconds.
“There is a lot of frustrationsaid the eight-time Paralympic champion, silver medalist the day before in the Super-G. I felt it a little in training that things weren’t going very well in slalom. After all, these are silly mistakes. It’s slalom, it’s going fast. »
READ ALSO. Paralympic Games. Discover the complete program of events in Beijing
The same misadventure as Marie Bochet happened to Hyacinthe Deleplace (visually impaired category), leading the Super-G heat but in the end only fifth after the slalom. Oscar Burnham and Manoël Bourdenx finished 10th and 12th, while Jules Segers did not finish the race.
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