Guillaume Ouellet remained vigilant in the 5,000m of the T13 class, but found himself without an answer to the pace of the last kilometer, Saturday, at the Stade de France. The Quebecer finally ranked fifth on the occasion of his third Paralympic Games.
A very slow pace punctuated the start of the race, so much so that after half a lap of the track, the announcer had already made it clear to the spectators that the world record would not be broken in the French capital.
“There were several scenarios on the table and, from the start, we had a super slow race. I had to revisit my game plan,” Guillaume Ouellet told Sportcom. “It was so slow, it felt good to go to the front to get my legs moving a little! I went there sometimes to give myself a little rhythm, but mostly to stay well positioned.”
The Victoriaville rider stayed at the front during the first half of the distance. He then found himself in the middle of the group, then the peloton stretched out suddenly with 1000 meters to go.
“It really came from far away, it was a big last kilometre for the medallists and it was maybe a little too early for me,” mentioned Ouellet.
I gave it my all until the line and, overall, I’m happy with my race and my experience.
Guillaume Ouellet
Spain’s Yassine Ouhdadi El Ataby, the reigning Paralympic champion and two-time world champion, attacked on the final lap to distance the competitors who were still in the running. En route to the gold medal, he posted a time of 15:50.64, raising his arms at the finish. He was followed by neutral individual athlete Aleksandr Kostin (T12), who won silver in 15:52.36.
Australian Jaryd Clifford and his guide Matt Clarke were the third to cross the finish line. The visually impaired runner was however disqualified for letting go of his guide’s rope just before the finish. The bronze medal then went to neutral individual athlete Anton Kuliatin (15 min 55.23 s).
“In a race like this, you have to be vigilant and watch everything that’s going on. I stayed relaxed as long as possible and I thought I was in a good position, but there was a good move. The gear change hurt me and I was a little short at the end,” added Guillaume Ouellet, who posted a time of 16 min 7.71 s.
Sixth to complete the 5,000 metres, he moved up a level after the disqualification of the Australian, the only competitor to have had the help of a guide in this race.
PHOTO MICHAEL P. HALL, CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, PROVIDED BY THE CANADIAN PRESS
Guillaume Ouellet
A privilege
This was the only event on Guillaume Ouellet’s schedule in the City of Lights. Also in the 5,000m, he had placed fourth in Rio and fifth in Tokyo. His bronze medal won at the 2023 World Championships allowed him to aim for a step on the podium for his third Games.
His qualification was not easy, however. This spring, he was unable to meet the various performance criteria to secure his place on the Canadian team. His success at the last worlds played in his favor in the final selection.
The preparation of the last few weeks, where he trained in Utah, ahead of the Paralympic Games, will have been particularly significant.
“It means a lot to be here. I learned a lot about myself. I’m 37 years old, I’ve been in the sport for 15 years and I’ve grown as an athlete and as a person in this preparation. It’s definitely going to be useful to me all my life,” Ouellet said.
“The last few days before the Games, I managed to be focused, but calm. The result doesn’t reflect that, but I learned a lot with this month of training.”
Beyond this fifth place, he will keep other “precious memories” of his experience at the Stade de France, very different from that experienced at the National Stadium in Tokyo, three years earlier.
“I went to see my parents in the stands after the race and it was a great moment. It’s not a result that lives up to what I wanted, but just to be here with family and friends, I’m very happy. Racing in front of 50,000 people doesn’t happen often! I’m really privileged,” he concluded.