Mathieu St-Pierre finished sixth in the VL2 200m Paralympic final of the Paris Games, held on Sunday morning at the Stade nautique in Vaires-sur-Marne.
The paracanoeist from Shawinigan covered the distance in a time of 54.37 s in this race where Brazil achieved a double thanks to Fernando Rufino de Paulo (50.47 s) and Igor Alex Tofalini (51.78 s).
It should be noted that the two Brazilians also monopolized the first two steps of the podium last spring at the World Championships in Szeged, Hungary, where the Quebecer finished in seventh place.
After the two Brazilians, there are four or five of us athletes who are within the same seconds. It was a good race and it’s difficult to get a podium, but with the season I’ve had, I’m still happy with what I’ve done.
Mathieu St-Pierre, an athlete from Shawinigan
“I would have liked third place for sure, but I gave it my all. It’s sixth in the world and you have to be happy because all the guys are improving. We’re all progressing and it’s fun when there’s competition like that.”
The crosswind was to the advantage of the Quebecer who tried to stay close to the American and eventual bronze medalist, Blake Haxton (51.81 s), who was paddling alongside him, while keeping an eye on the Brazilians who are “in a class of their own” according to him.
“You have no choice: if you want to finish in the top three, you have to be able to follow until the first 100m and then empty everything you have. It’s make or break! It still went well and I’m not disappointed. I managed to beat athletes who beat me in Hungary [aux derniers mondiaux] and I was closer to the other guys.”
This second Paralympic experience was very different from that of Tokyo, where he finished fifth, notably by the quality of the finalists, but also by the presence of spectators.
“At my first race, I was very surprised. The stands were full, there was a lot of shouting and it was really fun! It made me go a little out of my game plan.”
The last year of the Paralympic cycle, exceptionally short due to the pandemic, was a significant one for the athlete who became the father of a baby girl who celebrated her first birthday last month.
“My partner has made a lot of sacrifices for the family. For my part, when I do 12 to 16 hours of training per week, I’m not often there. I want to be good at everything, but to be good at sports and be a good dad, you have to find a good balance,” continues the athlete, adding that if the Tokyo Games had been presented in 2020 as planned, he would have taken a break the following year.
“Do three years [d’entraînement] “It was time for the year to end,” said St-Pierre with a laugh, who is preparing to start a new cycle with the end of his partner’s maternity leave and his daughter’s entry into daycare.
Whether high-performance sport will be part of it remains to be seen. But before that, the 36-year-old was preparing for the closing ceremony when he concluded the interview.
“It’s an honour to represent your country and your region. It’s all we’ve done to get here, but also what the people around me have done to get me here. I’m going to enjoy the moment and celebrate.”