Paris 2024 Paralympics | Para cycling track: Alexandre Léauté crowned Paralympic champion in the C2 pursuit
Alexandre Léauté's sweep of the Para-cycling events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games has begun. This Friday afternoon, on the track of the National Velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, he convincingly won the final of the C2 pursuit.
A few days ago, during a press conference, Breton Alexandre Léauté set the tone: "I won't hide it; I want to win two gold medals, maybe even three," he declared. "The number one goal will be the pursuit, where I am the reigning Paralympic champion and world record holder."
This Friday morning, the Frenchman began his Paris 2024 Paralympic Games campaign with that famous pursuit event in which he was crowned champion at Tokyo 2020. In excellent form from the qualifying rounds, he broke his own world record to take the lead and thus secure a place in the final for the gold medal. Three seconds slower in this positioning round, Belgian Ewoud Vromant appeared to be the perfect victim for Alexandre Léauté, who was well on his way to winning the Paralympic gold medal.
At 3:54 p.m., the Frenchman set off. He quickly built up a lead of over three seconds over his opponent. Head and shoulders above the rest, Alexandre Léauté remained strong and, in an indescribable atmosphere, clinched victory — and the title — in a time of 3 minutes 26.015 seconds. In front of his loved ones, he began what could turn into a medal haul similar to that of Léon Marchand.
"I don't really like the comparison, and I'd like people to remember me as Alexandre Léauté and not as the Léon Marchand of the Paralympics," he said before the competition. "I'm a fan of that guy, but Léon Marchand has done great things, and Alexandre Léauté is going to do great things." On Saturday, he will compete in the kilometre time trial before concluding his time on the Parisian track with the team sprint.
Alexandre Léauté's reaction after winning the title
Other Titles Awarded
Several other titles were awarded during this Friday afternoon session on 30 August. The men's C4-5 kilometre was claimed by Australian Korey Boddington, while the women's C4 pursuit went to New Zealander Anna Taylor.
The men's C3 pursuit was won by Britain's Jaco van Gass, while his compatriot Elizabeth Jordan (piloted by Dannielle Khan) took the women's 1,000 m B time trial.