The 39-year-old Lasberger only had to admit defeat to the superior Dutchman Jetze Plat in the triathlon in the PTWC class. In the end, Brungraber was able to celebrate silver, just like three years ago in Tokyo. Javelin thrower Natalija Eder won the first red-white-red medal on Saturday with bronze.
After the 750 m swim, Brungraber was in seventh place, 2:44 minutes behind the leading Italian Guiseppe Romelo, who was one of six athletes who started with a three-minute lead due to a major impairment. In the handbike, the Upper Austrian gained place after place on the 20-kilometer course in optimal conditions.
In second place, he finally moved on to the five-kilometer racing wheelchair section, where he defended his silver place without any problems. In the end, he was 1:09 minutes behind “Mr. Triathlon” Plat. Bronze went to his Dutch compatriot Geert Schipper.
The competition was originally supposed to take place on Sunday. But, as was the case at the Olympic Games, the water quality of the Seine was not ideal. “It’s a shame that more has been reported about the Seine than about the sport of triathlon itself,” said Brungraber. He himself had decided not to go in the water beforehand so as not to take any health risks.
Image: gepa
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Image: gepa
Apart from that, Brungraber’s preparation for this year’s Paralympics went perfectly. He was constantly motivated by the silver medal in Tokyo. “I like to remember this beautiful moment when I’m training. It motivates me again and again,” said the 39-year-old. The last three years have been shaped by “Project Paris”, which started immediately after the Games in Japan.
Brungraber was already sporty at a young age, and the desire for new adventures was always there. This passion led him to paragliding in his mid-20s, and unfortunately one day it became his undoing. In a paragliding accident in 2011, he suffered incomplete paraplegia. But the Upper Austrian did not let this get him down. “I never lost my zest for life, I never fell into a hole.”
During his therapy, he relearned how to swim and finally discovered his talent in triathlon. He made his debut in this sport in 2014 at a national competition. “After my first triathlon, I knew straight away that I wanted to keep doing it,” said Brungraber. He had tried many other sports before that, but never had the feeling that he was better than others. “Triathlon was the first sport where I recognized my talent.”
