Tokyo (AFP)

The French triathletes won the bronze medal in the mixed relay of the Tokyo Olympic Games on Saturday, the first Olympic medal in the history of the discipline for France, after the frustrating failure of Vincent Luis in individual at the start of the week.

Léonie Périault, Dorian Coninx, Cassandre Beaugrand and Vincent Luis finished behind Great Britain (1st) and the United States (2nd) in this discipline which made its debut at the Olympic Games in 2000 in Sydney.

The Blues, triple reigning world champions in the specialty, brought back to France their 14th medal of these Games after an impressive comeback in the second part of the relay.

"I was put in a good mood. It's important to react after the individual. People have a bit of short memories, we all made top 5 here, France is a dominant nation in world triathlon. brought back a medal, we work hard, we deserve more respect than what was given to us after the individual ", declared on France 2 the French N.1 Vincent Luis, favorite of the individual but only 13th.

This format, which made its Olympic debut in Tokyo, consists for each of the torchbearers in a short distance triathlon (300 m swimming, 6.8 km cycling, 2 km running).

This is the first Olympic podium for a French mixed relay already decorated many times in international competitions (4 world titles in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 3 European titles in 2015, 2018, 2019).

This podium also confirmed the revelation Léonie Périault on the day of her 27 years, she who hung on Tuesday the fifth place of the individual event, the best result of a Frenchwoman at the Olympics.

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