France at the 2018 Winter Paralympics

France sent people to compete at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. There will be twelve people from France. Four people from France competed in para-snowboarding. Five people competed in para-alpine skiing. Six skiers and 2 guide skiers competed in para-alpine skiing. Marie Bochet was chosen to carry the flag during the Opening Ceremony.

Team

People from France went to the 2018 Winter Paralympics in para-alpine skiing, para-Nordic skiing and para-snowboarding. People on the team were Benjamin Daviet and Cécile Hernandez.[1][2] Marie Bochet was chosen to carry the flag during the Opening Ceremony.[3][4] She was chosen 100 days before the 2018 Games started.[5] The first people were included on the team in September 2017.[6] The list included Thomas Clarion.[6] The team has 12 people.[4]

The table below contains the list of members of people (called "Team France") that will be participating in the 2018 Games.

Team France
Name Sport Gender Classification Club Events ref
Arthur Bauchet para-alpine skiing male LW3 club des sports d'hiver du Briançonnais [4][7]
Marie Bochet para-alpine skiing female LW6/8.2 Albertville handisport [4][6][7]
Antoine Bollet para-Nordic skiing male guide skier [4][7]
Jordan Broisin para-alpine skiing male [4][7]
Anthony Chalençon para-Nordic skiing male B1 ski club Morzine-Avoriaz [4][6][7]
Benjamin Daviet para-Nordic skiing male LW2 handisport annecien biathlon [2][4][6][7]
Thomas Dubois para-Nordic skiing male [4][7][8]
Frederic François para-alpine skiing male [4][7]
Cécile Hernandez para-snowboarding female SB-LL1 Les Angles [1][4][6][7][9]
Maxime Montaggioni para-snowboarding female SB-UL Anices handisport [1][4][6][7][9]
Julien Roulet para-snowboarding male SB-UL [1][4][7]
Bastien Sauvage para-Nordic skiing male guide skier [4][7]
Yohann Taberlet para-alpine skiing male [4][7]
Simon Valverde para-Nordic skiing male guide skier [4][7]

History

Before the 2018 Winter Paralympics, France was seventh for having the most Winter Paralympic medals.  They had won 52 gold medals, 47 silver medals and 52 gold medals.  Of these 151 medals, 12 were won at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. France won 5 gold medals, 3 silver medals and 4 bronze medals in Sochi.  They ranked fifth for medals.[4]

Para-alpine skiing

Skiers

Benjamin Daviet was at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. He did not win a medal. His best finish was seventh. The first medal he won at a major competition was in 2017 at a race in Finsterau.[2]

Thomas Dubois first represented France at racing at the 2017 World Cup in Ukraine.[8] Before that, he was the French junior champion in biathlon and cross-country skiing. He finished second in biathlon and cross-country skiing at the senior French championships.[8] Dubois became blind when he was an 8-year-old because of a genetic disorder.[8] He needs to ski with a guide skier. Unlike other countries, Fédération française handisport does not give money to guide skiers to help blind skiers with the cost of competing. To get the right to go to and practice for the Winter Paralympics, it cost €21,000. Dubois had to raise money to be able to pay for that.[8] Maubourguet Lions Club helped Dubois get the money for the Winter Paralympics.[8]

Before the Games

At the 9 January 2018 World Cup in Zagreb, François won gold in the men's sitting slalom race. At 41-years-old, it was his first World Cup victory. It also made him one of the oldest people to win a World Cup event.[10][11] Bochet went to Slovenia in January 2018. She competed in the World Cup in Kranjska Gora.[12]

Schedule and training

Skiers had training runs for the downhill race on 7 March.[13] Their practice runs in the downhill on 8 and 9 March were cancelled.[14][15]

The first event on the para-alpine program was the downhill. It started on 10 March, running from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. The second event on the program was Super-G. All skiers raced between 9:30 AM and 1:00 PM on 11 March. The super combined takes place on 13 March. The Super-G part of the event is in the morning. The slalom part is in the afternoon. The slalom event gets underway on 14 March and conclude on 15 March. Women and men both race during the same sessions in the morning. The afternoon sessions start with the women doing their second run. Then the men go.The last para-alpine skiing race of the 2018 Games is the giant slalom. It takes place on 17 - 18 March.  Men and women both race at the same time in the morning sessions.  Women race first in the afternoon sessions, with the men racing a half hour after they end.[16]

Results

In the men's 7.5 km standing race,  Benjamin Daviet of France won gold, Mark Arendz won silver and Ihor Reptyukh of Ukraine won bronze.[17]

Para-Nordic skiing

Schedule

On 12 March, the 15 km race takes place, with standing and vision impaired women starting at 10:00 PM. Thee sprint classic qualification takes place on 14 March from 10:00 AM – 11:25 AM for both men and women in all classes. It is followed in the afternoon by the semifinals and finals.  The classic race takes place on 17 March. The standing and visually impaired women's race takes place from 10:00 AM - 12:30.[16]

Para-snowboarding

Snowboarders

There were 3 snowboarders from France at the 2018 Winter Paralympics.[7] Snowboarders from France went to Pirineo at the last part of January 2018 to get ready for the 2018 Winter Paralympics.[1][9] Cécile Hernandez was one of the snowboarders from France. She went to the 2014 Winter Paralympics. It was the first Paralympics for Montaggioni and Roulet.[1] Hernandez and Roulet have arm disabilities. Montaggioni has a problem with her legs.[1] They are coached by Olivier Noiret and Marcos Lorenzo.[1][9]

Schedule and results

The snowboard cross event starts on 12 March, running from 10:30 AM to 5:00 PM for all classes for both men and women.[18] The slalom race is scheduled to take place on 16 March, going from 10:30 AM – 4:55 PM for men and women in all classes.[16]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 (in es) Los integrantes del equipo paralímpico francés entrenan en Les Angles. http://www.lugaresdenieve.com/?q=es/noticia/los-integrantes-del-equipo-paralimpico-frances-entrenan-les-angles. Retrieved 2018-02-15. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Nordic Skiing - Rules & Regulations - Classification - Masterlist". www.paralympic.org. Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2018-02-13.
  3. (in fr-FR) Marie Bochet porte-drapeau de la France aux Jeux Paralympiques. 2017-12-05. http://sport24.lefigaro.fr/jeux-olympiques/pyeongchang-2018/fil-info/marie-bochet-porte-drapeau-de-la-delegation-francaise-aux-jeux-paralympiques-887711. Retrieved 2018-02-16. 
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 "PyeongChang 2018: France confirms team". International Paralympic Committee. 7 February 2018.
  5. LOUIS, benjamin. Marie Bochet porte-drapeau de la délégation française à PyeongChang - Coeur Handisport. https://www.coeurhandisport.fr/ski/5ae899cbc396d5ff365dad77a2fb57ac.php. Retrieved 2018-02-16. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 LOUIS, benjamin. Les premiers sélectionnés pour les Jeux Paralympiques de PyeongChang connus ! - Coeur Handisport. https://www.coeurhandisport.fr/ski/6257175ad49d5eba1abc8b9c2bb77788.php. Retrieved 2018-02-16. 
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 (in fr-FR) Sélection définitive : 12 français obtiennent leur ticket pour les Paralympiques de PyeongChang !. 2018-02-05. http://cpsf.france-paralympique.fr/pages/selection-definitive-12-francais-obtiennent-leur-ticket-pour-les-paralympiques-de-pyeongchang/. Retrieved 2018-02-16. 
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 (in fr) Ensemble pour Thomas aux Jeux Paralympiques de 2018. https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2017/08/12/2626749-ensemble-pour-thomas-aux-jeux-paralympiques-de-2018-2018.html. Retrieved 2018-02-17. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 (in ca) Els integrants de l'equip paralímpic francès que competirà a Pyeongchang entrenen a Els Angles. https://www.diaridelaneu.cat/noticia/7681/els-integrants-de-lequip-paralimpic-frances-que-competira-a-pyeongchang-entrenen-a-els-ang. Retrieved 2018-02-17. 
  10. (in sl-SI) Vzpodbudna forma pred tekmama v Kranjski Gori. 9 January 2018. http://www.zsis.si/2018/01/09/obetavna-forma-pred-tekmama-v-kranjski-gori/. Retrieved 20 February 2018. 
  11. "Frederic Francois secures career-first World Cup win in Zagreb". International Paralympic Committee. 9 January 2018. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  12. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :7.
  13. "Alpine Skiing". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  14. "Alpine Skiing: 8 March". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  15. "Alpine Skiing: 9 March". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 "Programm". Austrian Paralympic Committee (in Deutsch). 12 February 2018. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  17. "Daily Medalists: 10 March". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  18. "Programm". Austrian Paralympic Committee (in Deutsch). 2 February 2018. Archived from the original on 9 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.