Arthur Bauchet, great hope of French alpine para-skiing, won his third medal on Thursday at the Beijing Games (March 4-13) by winning bronze in the giant slalom (standing category).
On the sunny slopes of Yanqing, in the suburbs of Beijing, the 21-year-old sportsman, licensed at the Briançon ski club, was beaten by the Finn Santeri Kiiveri, gold medalist, and the American Thomas Walsh.
This is Arthur Bauchet's third medal at these Games, after two Paralympic titles in downhill and super combined.
France now has a total of seven medals (including four gold) and is fourth in the standings.
“Sport is a fight against oneself”
Already double world champion in January in Lillehammer, the 21-year-old skier, licensed from the Briançon ski club, at the start of the week confirmed his status as the new world star of Paralympic skiing, he who had already won four silver in Pyeongchang four years earlier.
“I don't know if I was the boss today.
Sport is a fight against yourself and today was clearly a fight against myself, against my legs.
At each turn, I said to myself:
you have to go there
.
It's the worst slalom run I've done, but I really went for it.
I think I don't realize.
In the finish area, euphoria took over.
The legs quickly caught up with me.
I will take advantage of the two days of rest, ”said Arthur Bauchet at the microphone of France Télévisions on arrival.