A new shower of medals for the Blues in cycling? After the harvests of Wednesday and Thursday, the Tricolores will start the road race on Friday, September 6. The day also promises to be rich in athletics, tennis and kayaking, where Rémy Boullé, who is participating in his third Games, qualified for the semi-final (KL1 category), which he will compete in Saturday from 10 a.m. Follow the events with us.
The French dive back for gold. Emeline Pierre (100m backstroke S10) did the job by finishing second in her heat, which secured her a place in the final, joined by Anaëlle Roulet (final at 6:12 p.m.). Already a finalist twice since the start of the Games, Dimitri Granjux is aiming for a first podium at just 18 years old in the men’s 50m freestyle S4 (heats at 11:03 a.m. and final at 7:40 p.m.). The reigning European champion, he posted the best world performance of the year. On the women’s side, things didn’t go well for Assya Maurin-Espiau (women’s 100m backstroke S14) and Solène Sache (50m butterfly S5) who finished 5th in their heat.
(More) medals in road cycling? From 9:30 am, no fewer than eight French riders will take part in the road race. Among them, let us mention Dorian Foulon (category C5), already gold medalist on the track and bronze on the road, Kévin Le Cunff and Gatien Le Rousseau (C4), who adorned themselves with gold and silver in the road time trial on Wednesday. Then will follow the two French riders Marie Patouillet and Heïdi Gaugain (C5), who won silver on Wednesday, Elie de Carvalho, medalist in the time trial, and Alexandre Lloveras (B), and Anne-Sophie Centis (B).
Fencing, judo… The events to follow on Friday. At the Grand Palais, Frenchmen Clémence Delavoipière and Yohan Peter are still aiming for a medal in épée. Despite their defeats, they can still hope for bronze in the repechage (at 12:10 and 11:40). At the same time, the French team will compete in the team para-dressage event. Starting at 10:00, judokas Nathan Petit (-73 kg, J2 category) and Armindo Rodrigues (-73 kg, J1) are expected on the tatamis. In Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), at 10:00, kayaker Rémy Boullé will take part in the 200 m (KL1), then Eléa Charvet (10:30), Nélia Barbosa (in KL3, at 11:55) and Abel Aber (in VL3, at 12:05). Discover today’s events here.
A first medal in weightlifting and tennis? At noon, head to Roland-Garros, where the pair Frédéric Cattanéo-Stéphane Houdet have the opportunity to win bronze on the Suzanne-Lenglen court, and thus open the French tennis counter. From 5 p.m., French weightlifting finally wants to experience the joys of the podium thanks to Souhad Ghazouani.
A busy athletics schedule. The only relay event in para-athletics, the first round of the 4x100m universal relay begins, with qualifications at 12:57 and a final at 20:56. On the French side, we will follow, from 10:00, Angelina Lanza in the long jump (T47). In the evening, Vitolio Kavakava takes part in the shot put final (F57).
A nice harvest of medals on Thursday. In road cycling, Florian Jouanny brought a new victory to the blue delegation, during the road race, while Mathieu Bosredon and Johan Quaile achieved another double (H3). For its part, the French blind football team qualified for the final. The Tricolores had 61 medals on Thursday evening (including 17 titles).