Marie Patouillet gives France first medal at Tokyo Paralympic Games – The HuffPost

David Fitzgerald via Getty Images

PARALYMPIC GAMES – The French counter is open! Marie Patouillet gave France her first medal at the Tokyo Paralympic Games this Wednesday, August 25 by winning bronze in para-cycling from the second day of the competition.

The 33-year-old Frenchwoman, already vice-world champion and double French champion in her category, came third in the individual pursuit (category C5). “I don’t really realize. For my first Games, first event and first medal ”, reacted the trackwoman, more of a sprint specialist.

Arriving late in cycling, Marie Patouillet had a revelation by running the stage of the Tour cyclotouriste in 2017.

The athlete is coached by Grégory Baugé, quadruple world champion in individual speed and silver medalist in the same event at the London Olympics in 2012.

General practitioner, the para-cyclist, born with a defect in one foot, has great chances of medal again on Friday in the 500 meters standing start, her specialty of which she is vice-world champion (2020) and bronze medalist (2019). ).

See also on The HuffPost: These 5 new sports make their debut at the Olympics but you have already seen them on the big screen