Strasbourg’s Jules Ribstein was crowned Paralympic triathlon champion this Monday morning in the PTS2 category. This is the first time in his career that he has won a Paralympic title.
Jules Ribstein, the reigning four-time world champion in the PTS2 category, was the favourite. The Alsatian, who had his left leg amputated after a motorbike accident in 2008, was taking part in the Paralympic Games for the first time.
“I’ve been training for seven or eight years. I couldn’t go to Tokyo because our category wasn’t selected. I’ve been dedicating my life to Paris for three or four years. I wasn’t sure of myself because unfortunately, I’m someone who’s hyper stressed and hyper emotional and I was afraid it would play tricks on me. But it passed.”confided the very moved French Paralympic champion.
As with the Olympics, the paratriathlon featured a swim in the Seine, followed by cycling and running through the streets of Paris. The events, which were postponed by a day due to poor water quality in the Seine, are all taking place on Monday.
France has many chances for medals in the 11 paratriathlon events. In these Paralympic Games, France has so far won 28 medals, including seven gold.