Too much heat, too much noise and emotion. Before climbing, on Sunday, September 1, to the highest step of the podium of the individual pursuit (3,000 m) in C5, a category intended for athletes with an amputation or a malformation of a hand or a foot, Marie Patouillet, 36, was the victim of a fainting spell. When receiving her gold medal, the track athlete began to stagger, her complexion livid.
Breaking the rules of protocol, her compatriot, Heidi Gaugain (2nd) and New Zealander Nicole Murray (3rd), supported her so that she did not collapse during The Marseillaise. “I really almost fell, said Marie Patouillet after regaining her senses. I told the girls: “Don’t go!” I would have to watch the scene again because I don’t remember everything.”
A little earlier, Marie Patouillet, already silver medalist in the time trial on Thursday August 29, had gone all the way “of very intense physical effort” to impose herself. In an overheated and packed velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Yvelines), the cyclist, who suffers from congenital agenesis – an orthopedic malformation of the left foot – completed the last laps of her track career.
“I wanted them to be magical and they were, she confided. It’s a blessing to be able to choose when you leave.” From January 2025, the new Paralympic champion will return to her job as a general practitioner. As the face of a luxury brand, she also intends to continue her fight against homophobia.
More than just an opponent
Facing Heidi Gaugain in the final, the track athlete was facing more than just an opponent. The two women know each other well. “They are much more than just friends, confirms Laurent Thirionet, manager of the French team. I see them more like two sisters.”
In competition or during training, they share the same room. “We have our little habits, confided Heidi Gaugain. For example, we have introduced the cold bath routine.” During briefings or meals, they are never far from each other and, during training, as soon as one is on the track, the other encourages her from the sidelines.
The two athletes met after the Tokyo Games in 2021, at the Etoiles du sport, a sponsorship program aimed at bringing together high-level athletes. Marie Patouillet then proposed to Heïdi Gauguin, 19, a form of pact. “I chose Heidi, remembers Marie Patouillet. I called her and said, “Listen, we’re going to be in the same category and therefore opponents. I’ve known situations where two athletes in the same category penalize each other because stress and adversity inhibit them. I don’t want that. Yes, there will always be one who will be ahead of the other, but that will be OK.” I was keen to build our relationship on this basis.
You have 49.15% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
Related News :