Europe 1 with AFP 13:28, August 26, 2021
20-year-old Alexandre Léauté won the first French gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games on Thursday in the individual pursuit.
The Breton has once again broken his own world record and will be in contention again on Friday.
For his part, weightlifter Axel Bourlon won the silver medal.
Cyclist Alexandre Léauté brought this Thursday his first gold medal to the French team at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo by winning the individual pursuit (category C2).
The 20-year-old rider won in the final against Australian Darren Hicks.
He also signed a new world record in his category and therefore offered a third medal to France, provisionally tenth in the medal table.
"After 1,500 meters, it was only mental. It is thanks to all the encouragement (from a distance) if I was able to surpass myself today", reacted Alexandre Léauté, who participates for the first times at the Games.
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"Today it smiled on me"
The Breton, born with a right hemiplegia, collects at the age of 20 already five world titles. He can double the stake at the Paralympic Games tomorrow in the kilometer, of which he is the reigning world champion. "I felt confident but you are never sure. I had a very big opponent in front (world champion in 2019)", analyzed at the end of his race Léauté, which benefited from the disqualification of the Belgian Ewoud Vromant, author of a better time than him in qualifying. "Unfortunately, he was downgraded, he is a very great athlete, a very great champion. Sometimes it smiles on athletes and not on others. Today, it smiled on me," commented the student.
French Axel Bourlon, 29, also won the silver medal in weightlifting on Thursday in the -54kg category. The Roannais won the title in para-bench press. This is the fourth medal for the Blues in these Paralympic Games.