Double Paralympic champion since his title in Paris, the Norman is aiming for a new gold medal in front of his home crowd in Vichy on Sunday.
The holidays will have to wait for Alexis Hanquinquant and the Blues of paratriathlon. Three weeks after a golden Monday back to school, the discipline is already back in France for a new international competition: the European Championships. Organized all weekend in Vichy, the “Europes” hope to attract big names around Lake Allier, where the entire ecosystem dreams of surfing the Olympic and Paralympic wave, where the triathlon events at the beginning of August and the paratriathlon events at the beginning of September put on a great show in a Paris in celebration.If there are people in the Vichy area who really don’t know what to do this weekend, I invite them to come and encourage us.”smiles the now double Paralympic champion Alexis Hanquinquant.
Titled in the joy of Paris, where the crazy atmosphere led him to stretch out and savor his final straight alone on the Pont Alexandre III, the 38-year-old Norman has the opportunity to offer himself a final parade at home, where he will be this Sunday, and as usual, the overwhelming favorite. Objectively, a seventh continental title will not change much in the record of the glutton of paratriathlon, also six times world champion (he will compete in the World Championships in Spain in a month) and, above all, double Paralympic champion. Won in front of a delirious crowd, the second Paralympic title, like the first in Tokyo in 2021, “splash everything“, anyway.
Also read: Paralympic Games: Alexis Hanquinquant in the pantheon of French paratriathlon
But the main thing is elsewhere, because the golden flag bearer of Paris 2024 is also representing the entire French paratriathlon delegation, which, unlike Olympic medallists Cassandre Beaugrand and Léo Bergère, engaged like other triathletes in private events, will be expected in front of their public in Allier.With the Games, we had planned not to do the Europeans this year but the Federation asked us to at least be present since it was at home“, explains to Le Figaro the figurehead of the French “paratri”. Before assuring, halfway between malice and ambition: “If we’re going to be there, we might as well race… with the freshness we’ll have left from these Games.»
Also read: Alexis Hanquinquant, gold medalist in paratriathlon: “These Games are a waking dream”
Finally the hat-trick in PTS4?
The omnipresent flag bearer, Hanquinquant wasted some energy during the Paralympic celebrations but has since been able to recharge his batteries at home in Yvetot (Seine-Maritime), where he will be celebrated by the municipality on September 28, probably with a European title to boot. Unbeatable for over five years, the invincible Norman should still settle the competition, whether there are twelve chasing him like in Paris, or… four like on Sunday in Vichy.
Alexis Hanquinquant was greeted by Emmanuel Macron during the champions’ parade on September 14. Sarah Meyssonnier / REUTERS
In truth, the unknown in the PTS4 category will be the ability or not of the Blues to achieve the triple with Grégoire Berthon and Pierre-Antoine Baele, three weeks after failing at the foot of the podium in front of the Invalides. Excited by the triple of the BMX riders a month earlier in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the French paratriathletes had failed in their quest, victims of the American Carson Clough and the Spaniard Nil Rudaviets, who will also be in Vichy. Second in the World Championships last year and mounted on the box during the last two Euros, Baele is expected on the podium and can even start to dream of titillating the boss Hanquinquant.
In the other categories, the equally authoritative Jules Ribstein, who won the title in Paris amidst emotion, should, barring any surprises, retain his title in PTS2, while Thibaut Rigaudeau, who won silver in Paris for his last major race with his historic guide Cyril Viennot, is aiming for a new medal in the visually impaired category, where his partner Héloïse Courvoisier is also involved. A well-knit delegation, full of ambition, behind its flag bearer: “There is a very nice atmosphere and above all we know what we want.greets Hanquinquant. It’s a very professional group and they get along well, it’s all the more enjoyable when you win.» Afterwards, it will finally be time to celebrate… and to rest: «It will be good to have a break from family life because it’s pretty rock’n’roll right now.”.
