Nélia Barbosa and Rémy Boullé in gold, the Paralympic thinning

This is not a trivial victory. Nélia Barbosa, Paralympic vice-champion in KL3 200m, took advantage of the first stage of the World Cup, disputed in Szeged (Hungary) to win ahead of the Englishwoman Laura Sugar, whom she had never beaten until then. . “I was under a lot of pressure because I had a better time than her in the playoffs.reacted the 24-year-old Frenchwoman, amputated from the lower part of her right leg. This morning (Sunday), for me, it was one of the most stressful races of my life, even more than at the Games because I knew that I wanted to p in front of the Englishwoman and the stakes were not the same. The goal was not to make a podium but to go for the gold. »

The day before, Rémy Boullé won the KL1 200m: ” I was thinking of coming for at least two races and we did a direct final. Unfortunately, an Italian, a Hungarian and a Brazilian were missing, athletes that I want to beat. I work to beat them. »

Among the able-bodied, only one final but in a non-Olympic event

On the side of the valid boats, the job is obvious when we observe that the only final A, which allowed Loïc Léonard to invite himself on the podium in C1 500m (3rd), was obtained in a non-Olympic event . The other boats only played in the B final, with 11th place in the K4 500m women, 13th places for Adrien Bart in C1 1,000m, Etienne Hubert in K1 1,000m or K4 500m men. Far from transcendent. “We knew that with the approach of the Games and obtaining quotas, the level was going to be difficult. Many nations had thus lined up two boats over distances, notes François During, deputy director of performance in charge of the sprint. The times shown show that we can continue to get results and be in the final. It didn’t take much, in some races, to get in between. We will therefore have to ask ourselves to analyze all this. »

According to Francois During, on this first international block, Adrien Bart and Loic Leonard are the only ones who will go to the next World Cup in Poznan (Poland) in 15 days and the rest of the France team will go to prepare for Temple-sur-Lot. »