Like in Tokyo, Timothée Adolphe wins silver in the 100m

Gold did not come at the end of the straight line, nor at the end of the lap for Timothé Adolphe at these Paralympic Games. But if the “white cheetah” could legitimately regret his lack of endurance in the 400m, he who was in the lead 80 meters from the finish line before weakening and finishing in silver last Sunday, this Thursday evening, the Frenchman has absolutely nothing to deplore. Accompanied by his guide Charles Renard, the 34-year-old sprinter galloped without a false note. Right to the end, he worried the Greek Athanasios Ghavelas, the world record holder in the 100m in the T11 category, that of the blind. Which deserved a lap of honor under the applause of the crowd at the Stade de France.

In the end, Timothée Adolphe clocked a superb 11”05, his best time of the season at the best time, in the final of the Paralympic Games. Ghavelas still managed to beat him by a whisker (11”02) and deprive him of the consecration he wanted so much, he who had already been world champion and multiple European champion. But the Frenchman could also have finished on the third step of the podium with the threat of the Chinese Dongdong Di, author of a 11”08, or even off the podium in a particularly tough final (the Namibian Ananias Shikongo at the foot of the podium with his 11”17).

A year ago at the World Championships in Charléty, Timothée Adolphe won a bronze double in the 100 and 400m. At the time, his disappointment was palpable. His silver double at the Stade de France should put a smile back on his face, as he had only won a silver medal in Tokyo in the 100m three years ago. With this podium, the French athletics team has achieved its minimum objective for these Games, namely winning five medals. And there are still one or two opportunities to do better. On the other hand, for gold, we will have to wait until Los Angeles in 2028. No doubt with Timothée Adolphe, who has not yet said his last word in his quest for gold…