A fifth medal in four Olympics for Cécile Hernandez! The para-snowboarder won the snowboard cross final this Sunday, category LL2 (lower limb disability) at the Milan-Cortina Paralympic Games. This is the third medal, and the first gold, for the French delegation, after the silver medals of Aurélie Richard and Arthur Bauchet, during the descent.
The French flag bearer got off to an excellent start alongside favorite Kate Delson. And secured, indirectly, a medal from the first hectometers, when the two Chinese collided and left the field open to the two women.
A medal for each participation
It remained to be seen which Hernandez would take, between silver and gold. It will ultimately be the most beautiful, after an almost perfect race, where she quickly got the better of the American.
Suffering from multiple sclerosis, the journalist took up disabled sports in 2013, with unexpected success since then, since she has obtained a medal at each participation.
From her first Olympics, in 2014, she won the silver medal in cross country. Then three other gems followed in 2018, with bronze in cross-country and silver in banked slalom. Before the consecration, in 2022, and this coronation in snowboard cross, perfectly defended this Sunday.