childbirth, sleepless nights and 20km of walking for Frenchman Aurélien Quinion – Libération

2024-08-01 11:10:32

Within a few hours, the 31-year-old hiker witnessed the birth of his wife at night, who gave birth to their first child, before starting a 20-kilometer journey six hours later on Wednesday, August 1, and to kill himself. the best.

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“We couldn’t be happier, it’s total happiness.” At the Trocadero, this Thursday, August 1, at the end of the 20 kilometer walk, the athlete appeared happy. For the first sporting event of the Paris Olympic Games, the French athlete has just achieved the best performance of his career at the distance, in 1 hour, 19 minutes and 56 seconds (one second above his record). Ninth in the heat he took, he finished one minute behind the winner, Ecuadorian Brian Daniel Pintado (1″ 18′55′). All this… while having “slept in the hospital for half an hour”.

The French champion spent the night from Thursday to Thursday at the Eaubonne hospital (Val-d’Oise) to attend the birth of his daughter, little Charlie. Having become a father for the first time, Aurélien Quinion told the press that “Federation [française d’athlétisme l’a] drop off directly at the hospital at 10 pm and taxi [l’a] brought back here before the race. It went really quickly, well I guess, four or five hours. It went really well. “

✨ In a series of magical little stories from the Olympic Games:

🇨🇵 Aurélien Quinion was by his wife’s side to witness the birth of his daughter Charlie last night. 👶

👏 A few hours later, after a taxi trip to Trocadéro, here it is 9th in 20 km… pic.twitter.com/c6nx7DK6Fk

— FFAthlétisme (@FFAthletisme) August 1, 2024

So the night was too short for the 31-year-old adventurer, who, through sleep, explained having “hold your eyes more than anything else”. His wife finally gave birth at 2 am “The little one has arrived, she is very beautiful, I think she has blue eyes,” he moved.

The start of the race was scheduled for 7:30 am, eventually delayed by half an hour due to stormy weather. Aurélien Quinion finally set off from the Trocadéro for a one kilometer cycle in the center of Paris, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. “Did you give me wings? I think that doesn’t make him an Olympic champion, as we’ve seen, but these are extra things to hold on to. It is amazing, in fact, it is the most beautiful thing in the world. “ he explained again.

“Crazy Fan”

Aurélien Quinion, who with Yohann Diniz and Bertrand Moulinet is one of the only three to have gone under 1 hour and 20 minutes over 20 kilometers, also gives the impressions of his race in group : “There’s a crazy fan base, a great audience. I gave everything, I did my best, no regrets. ” Before you pay your supporters: “My family, my friends, the whole department of Mayenne is behind me. Great idea for them. […] Now, recovery and time for theory. “

Another Frenchman entering the 20 kilometer journey did not seem to benefit from this extra breath: Gabriel Bordier took 24th place in 1 hour 21 and 40 seconds.