Paris, September 2, 2024 — The velodrome at Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines witnessed a dramatic day of Paralympic track cycling on Saturday, with France’s Dorian Foulon capturing the gold medal in a spectacular homecoming performance, while British riders Archie Atkinson and Jaco van Gass faced mixed fortunes.
In a thrilling conclusion to the C4 4000m individual pursuit, Foulon delighted the local crowd with a commanding victory, defending his title from the Tokyo Games.
The 30-year-old French cyclist’s win was marked by an electrifying atmosphere, with thousands of fans cheering wildly and waving French flags.
“The big difference is the crowd, it’s crazy,” Foulon said, his voice breaking with emotion. “People had t-shirts with my name on. What is this madness?” Foulon’s victory added to an impressive haul for French cyclists at the Games.
British cyclist Archie Atkinson, who only recently turned 20, faced a heartbreaking setback when he slipped and fell dramatically during his pursuit race. Atkinson, the reigning world champion, was in contention for gold until the unfortunate accident occurred.
Despite the fall, Atkinson was able to walk away with silver. “I think I’m OK after the crash, I can see and all in one piece,” Atkinson told Channel 4.
“I’ve never dug that deep before.” Atkinson, who has cerebral palsy, attention deficit disorder, and is autistic, demonstrated resilience and determination despite the mishap.
South African-born Jaco van Gass, another prominent British competitor, had a bittersweet day. Van Gass, who had clinched gold in the C3 3000m individual pursuit final the previous day, finished fourth in the men’s C1-3 1000m time trial.
Although he set a world record in the event, he fell short of the podium due to the complexities of the Paralympic classification system.
“It’s heartbreaking to be very honest,” van Gass said. “To ride a world record and not be right in the medals, it shows that the factoring system needs a bit of work.”
The C1-3 1000m time trial saw Slovakian rider Jozef Metelka secure another gold medal, following his impressive performance earlier in the day.
French competitors also shone, with Alexandre Leaute earning a bronze in the same event. British cyclist Archie Atkinson, despite his earlier fall, managed to clinch silver in this race.
In the only women’s event of the day, Australian Amanda Reid successfully defended her C1-3 500m title, achieving back-to-back golds twelve years after her debut in swimming at the London Paralympics.
“I tried not to think about the pressure coming into the Games,” Reid said. “It happened that I went back-to-back gold, it blows my mind.”
The day’s events highlighted both the triumphs and trials of Paralympic athletes as they showcased their extraordinary abilities and resilience on the world stage.
The velodrome’s atmosphere, charged with local support and high-stakes competition, underscored the emotional and competitive intensity of the Games.
