She’s wanted this gold medal all her life, so Pauline Ferrand-Prevot couldn’t contain herself after taking it flying (2’57” ahead of American Haley Payton) in Sunday’s cross-country mountain bike race. tears This happened when crossing the finish line, surrounded by his loved ones and French team coaches, and thirty minutes later, during the medal ceremony.
The 32-year-old Frenchwoman began to cry before her name was announced and she climbed to the highest step of the stage, as around ten thousand French supporters began chanting her name at Élancourt. Yvelines) as well as by the Swede Jenny Risvets who went to lend her a hand.
Gold medal presented by Wloszczowska
When Poland’s Maja Martyna Wloszowska, the 2010 world champion and cross-country mountain bike silver medalist at the 2008 and 2016 Olympics, went to collect her gold medal, Ferrand-Prevot cried even more. , president of the UCI. Before singing The Marseilles with all his supporters.
“I can’t believe it, I’ve worked so hard for this day. Said Ferrand-Prévôt in France 2. Today I was like a robot. I’m so happy, but I don’t know what to say because it’s so big. On the last lap, I pushed a little less, I knew I couldn’t make any mistakes, I was able to enjoy this scenery of the Elancourt mountain and was happy. I focused because it was difficult to enjoy the audience. I can enjoy it now. The whole preparation was tough but it was also fun and I learned to hurt myself in practice. That’s the most important thing for me, my path to the Olympics. »
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