At the end of this seventh day of the Paralympic Games, France has totaled 33 medals. This Tuesday, August 31, five new metals came to garnish the French collection: two in gold, one in silver and two in bronze. The tricolor para-cycling was particularly successful, with four medals. Elsewhere, while there has been success in para-tennis, several disappointments have occurred in para-table tennis and para-athletics. Find out what to remember from August 31st.
Gold in tandem
Alexandre Lloveras and Corentin Ermenault won the tandem road time trial. Vice-world champion of the specialty, the French pair associating the cyclists Alexandre Lloveras, visually impaired from birth, to the former professional Corentin Ermenault, won in front of the Dutch pair of reigning Paralympic champions for a little less than seven seconds on a course of 32 kilometers.
The French duo, created only in November, came out frustrated with their fourth place on the track in the individual pursuit. They were aiming for gold at the Izu velodrome, with the help of Corentin Ermenault, bronze medalist in pursuit at the last World Championships for able-bodied people. This is the first Paralympic Games for 20-year-old Alexander Lloveras, who came to cycling in 2018 only, after practicing high-level athletics.
First gold medal for French para-athletics
Para-athlete Charles-Antoine Kouakou won the 400m T20 (intellectually disabled) in Tokyo overnight. The Francilien, who evolves in the Hauts-de-Seine at Antony, completed the lap in 47’63, a great time. He had taken the 4e time of the series, before achieving the perfect race in the final.
Despite the rain, he broke his personal best by one second. At 23, he represents the future for the Paralympic Games in Paris 2024. But it is in the present that he shone: in the final, lane number 7, he achieved a beautiful end of the race for ahead of Rodriguez Bolivar and Columba Blango (Great Britain).
Three more medals in para-cycling
Alexandre Léauté, Florian Jouanny and Loïc Vergnaud brought three new medals to the French clan at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. The first two took bronze, while the third took silver in the time trial events in cycling.
Alexandre Léauté, who won his third medal of the Games here, took bronze in the road time trial (Category C2). I was unlucky with my front chainring which derailed several times
, regrets despite everything the world champion of the discipline in this category since June. He can still hope for a fourth podium for his first Games, Thursday in the road race
Loïc Vergnaud, he took the money for his first Games, at 41, with his handcycle (category H5). Tibial amputee of his right leg after an accident at work in 2004, he is aiming for a second podium in the road race on Wednesday, with his status as vice-world champion.
With his handbike also (category H2), Florian Jouanny also won his first Paralympic medal. He won bronze as at the world championships in June. A quadriplegic following a skiing accident ten years ago, he can still use some of his arms and is hoping for another podium on Wednesday as a world medalist.
Stéphane Houdet and Nicolas Peifer in the doubles wheelchair tennis final
France’s flag bearer at the Paralympic Games, para-tennis player Stéphane Houdet is performing perfect Games for the moment. Engaged in the single table (he will play his quarter-final tomorrow at 4 a.m.), he also has a good career in a double chair, with Nicolas Peifer.
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Nicolas Peifer and Stephane Houdet. © REUTERS
This Tuesday, the two Frenchmen outscored Dutchmen Tom Egberink and Maikel Scheffers (6-2, 6-4) in the semifinals, securing a medal ahead of Friday’s final. In 2016, in Rio, they had been crowned doubles Paralympic champions.
France still corrected in blind football
Third defeat in three matches for the French blind football team. Already beaten by Japan (0-4) and China (0-1), France has been corrected again, by Brazil this time (0-4). Faced with the nation which has won all the Paralympic titles since the introduction of the discipline in 2004, the Blues could not compete.
With zero goals scored in the group stage, for nine conceded, France missed out on its first round. He will have one game left to play on Thursday (probably against Thailand), with the 7e place of the tournament in play.
The Angevins in difficulty
The Angevins engaged in the Paralympic Games were not successful on Tuesday. In team para-table tennis, Matéo Bohéas (originally from Nantes and licensed at Vaillante Angers) and Gilles de la Bourdonnaye did not last long in the quarter-finals against the Australians Lin Ma (five-time Olympic medalist) and Joel Coughlan. Engaged in the 9-10 class, the two each lost their match (56-78 in all).
In para-athletics, Angevin Arnaud Assoumani had to settle for eighth place in the long jump competition (T47), he who dreamed of a sixth Paralympic medal. With 6.65m passed on the third try, Angevin was offered three more chances to improve the score. The athlete born without a left forearm achieved his best jump in stride at 6.89m, his best performance of the season. Not enough to hope to win another medal.
READ ALSO. Tokyo Paralympic Games medal table
Another Angevine, para-swimmer Claire Supiot, failed to qualify for the 100m freestyle final, in the S9 category. Fifth in his series, the 53-year-old Angevine made the 13e qualifying time (1’07 ”31). Only the eight best swimmers were able to qualify for the final. Her Paralympic adventure is not over, however, as she will be at the start of the 200m medley on Wednesday 1is September, and the 100m butterfly, Thursday, September 2.
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