Heidi Gaugain still in silver, Emeline Pierre in bronze, disappointment for Souhad Ghazouani… The recap of Friday’s day

Two days before the closing ceremony, the Blues had a more frustrating than prolific Friday.

Two days before the end of the Paralympic Games, France is still three gold medals away from its goal of 20 titles, after a rather dull Friday, with only three new awards to sink its teeth into. Silver and bronze in paracycling, for Heïdi Gaugain and the Alexandre Lloveras-Yoann Paillot tandem, but also in paraswimming for Emeline Pierre, in the 100m backstroke. For the rest, the French day was rather marked by disappointments and several medals… in chocolate.

French Day: Three Medals, Many Regrets

After winning gold in the 100m freestyle, Emeline Pierre won a second medal in these Paralympic Games, this time in the 100m backstroke. The Frenchwoman managed her race perfectly, turning into second place at the 50m mark and resisting the comeback of the Dutchwoman Lisa Kruger to secure bronze.

A major supplier of medals in recent days, French road paracycling had a less prolific day on Friday, but still brought home two other medals with silver for Heïdi Gaugain – her third medal of this metal in these Games – and bronze obtained by Alexandre Lloveras and his guide Yoann Paillot in the road race (category B, visually impaired).

In wheelchair tennis, the doubles team of Stéphane Houdet and Frédéric Cattanéo, beaten in the final for bronze by the Spaniards Daniel Caverzaschi and Martin De la Puente (6-4, 4-6, 5-10), left empty-handed. Yannick Noah’s team did not win a single medal in Paris. Also disappointing was weightlifter Souhad Ghazouani, who finished 7th in the bench press and therefore did not collect his sixth Paralympic medal. In wheelchair basketball, the French finished last in the tournament after a final defeat against Spain (57-72).

Today’s performance: the Dutch women’s hat-trick in the 100m

Triple count race for the Netherlands. The Dutch took everything in the 100m (T64 category, lower limb amputation) and left absolutely nothing to the competition. The big favorite, already gold medalist in the long jump, Fleur Jong held her rank and won gold in 12″54, her compatriot Kimberly Alkemade took silver and Marlene van Gansewinkel took bronze. The Netherlands had a fantastic Paralympic Games and are in fourth place in the medal table.

Today’s beautiful story: a couple covered in gold

It’s not clear whether love always triumphs, but it’s golden in the Woodhall household. After Tara Davis-Woodhall’s long jump victory at the Olympics, it’s her husband, Hunter Woodhall, who shone on the purple track of the Stade de France in the 400m (T62, lower limb amputation) of the Paralympic Games. Tara Davis-Woodhall was obviously present in the stands and the para-athlete did not fail to go and celebrate this new medal with her.