The news was expected. Expected! It is now official. It is not 54 medals that the French delegation brought back from the Tokyo Paralympic Games last year but 55. This Friday the Paralympic French team announced that the duo composed of Alexandre Lloveras and his guide Corentin Ermenault had recovered the bronze medal in the individual pursuit event over 4 km in category B, that of the visually impaired.
On August 25, in the small final, the tricolor duo was beaten by the Poles Marcin Polak and Michal Ladosz. But the latter were downgraded following several positive controls for erythropoietin (EPO) from Polak. The 39-year-old has been suspended for four years.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announces that Polish para-cyclist Marcin Polak has been sanctioned with a four-year period of ineligibility following an anti-doping rule violation for the presence of erythropoietin (EPO) in three samples collected on 19 May, July 31 and August 2, 2021, indicates in a press release the instance. In accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and the UCI Anti-Doping Regulations, the period of Ineligibility began on August 27, 2021 and is effective until August 26, 2025 inclusive. The results obtained by the runner between May 19, 2021 and August 27, 2021 have been cancelled. »
A birthday present a little early for Alexandre Lloveras. The Lyonnais will celebrate his 21st birthday on June 26. Visually impaired from birth due to a genetic disease that affects the retina (congenital amaurosis of Leber), Lloveras sees his collection of medals grow a little more. He can now boast of having won three medals in Tokyo. With his guide Corentin Ermenault (son of Philippe, former track Olympic team pursuit champion in 1996 and double pursuit world champion), he also won bronze in the road race and, above all, gold in the cross race. -the watch. Each time in category B.
Thanks to this decision, France won 55 medals during these Games: 11 gold, 15 silver and 29 bronze.
At 26, Ermenault has not drawn a line under his career since he made his return to the French team on track in 2022. In April, he won the team pursuit with the French team then the pursuit individual during a Nations Cup round in Glasgow.