Marie Patouillet opened the counters on Wednesday with a silver medal in the 500m C5, she then launched the last day of the Worlds perfectly this Sunday. In one race, she won two gold medals (scratch and omnium). “It’s really not common,” reacted the double Paralympic medalist from the Tokyo Games. Before the race, I didn’t want to be too greedy, I told myself: aim to win the omnium. During the scratch, I didn’t let go of the New Zealander who had the same number of points as me. But when I saw Heïdi (Gaugain) leave, I took her wheel. There were two laps left, I knew I had what it took to do a sprint lap. I didn’t give up. And, to finish my last World Championships, I think I couldn’t have dreamed of better. »
“It’s a rather positive result from an accounting point of view. We have more medals than in Glasgow last year (14, half of which are gold)”
Mathieu Jeanne, national coach
At 35, Marie Patouillet (C5) fully participated in the Blues’ raid on the Rio track. In his wake, Alexandre Léauté (23 years old, C2) obtained the same two titles so that his collection now includes 19 world gold medals (if we add the 6 won on the road); ditto for Dorian Foulon (25 years old, C5). With these six new coronations, France has a total of 12, but also 5 silver medals and 2 bronze. “It’s a rather positive result from an accounting point of view,” observes Mathieu Jeanne, the national coach. We have more medals than in Glasgow last year (14, half of which are gold). We are a little disappointed by our men’s and women’s tandems, who finished 5th and 6th, there are still things to work on. »
Scratch and omnium will not be on the program of the Games
However, five months before the Paralympic Games and the meeting on the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines track, the coach is not in absolute euphoria, aware that the scratch and the omnium will not be there on the program, and that certain categories will be grouped together in the kilometer (men) and the 500 m (women).
“In the Paralympic events, concerning the individual pursuit, we note that Dorian (Foulon, the Paralympic champion) is returning to his level. Heïdi (Gaugain) retained her world title, even if the Englishwoman Sarah Storey was missing. Kevin (Le Cunff) and Gatien (Le Rousseau) lost a place with the silver and bronze medals, Kevin being beaten by the Englishman. (Over 500 m, where the C4 and C5 will be united in Paris), Marie finishes in 3rd place when we calculate the factors, while Alexandre (Léauté), who wins the pursuit, would also be 1st over the km with the factors (C1-C2-C3), but I am always wary of the Chinese who pass a huge milestone when they arrive at the Paralympic Games. Finally, the team speed (Foulon, Le Cunff, Léauté) finished 4th and still has a little work to get on the podium. »
