France at the 2018 Winter Paralympics facts for kids
France sent 12 amazing athletes to compete at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. These Games are a huge international sports event for athletes with disabilities. Four French athletes competed in para-snowboarding, and five in para-alpine skiing. Six skiers and two guide skiers (who help visually impaired athletes) also competed in para-Nordic skiing. The famous athlete Marie Bochet was chosen to carry the French flag during the Opening Ceremony!
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Team France
French athletes competed in three main sports at the 2018 Winter Paralympics: para-alpine skiing, para-Nordic skiing, and para-snowboarding. Some well-known team members included Benjamin Daviet and Cécile Hernandez. Marie Bochet was chosen to carry the French flag about 100 days before the Games began. The first athletes were picked for the team in September 2017, including Thomas Clarion. In total, the team had 12 members ready to show their skills!
Here's a list of the athletes who were part of Team France for the 2018 Games:
| Name | Sport | Gender | Classification | Club | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Bauchet | para-alpine skiing | male | LW3 | club des sports d'hiver du Briançonnais | |
| Marie Bochet | para-alpine skiing | female | LW6/8.2 | Albertville handisport | |
| Antoine Bollet | para-Nordic skiing | male | guide skier | ||
| Jordan Broisin | para-alpine skiing | male | |||
| Anthony Chalençon | para-Nordic skiing | male | B1 | ski club Morzine-Avoriaz | |
| Benjamin Daviet | para-Nordic skiing | male | LW2 | handisport annecien | biathlon |
| Thomas Dubois | para-Nordic skiing | male | |||
| Frederic François | para-alpine skiing | male | |||
| Cécile Hernandez | para-snowboarding | female | SB-LL1 | Les Angles | |
| Maxime Montaggioni | para-snowboarding | female | SB-UL | Anices handisport | |
| Julien Roulet | para-snowboarding | male | SB-UL | ||
| Bastien Sauvage | para-Nordic skiing | male | guide skier | ||
| Yohann Taberlet | para-alpine skiing | male | |||
| Simon Valverde | para-Nordic skiing | male | guide skier |
France's Paralympic History
Before the 2018 Winter Paralympics, France had a strong history in the Games. They were ranked seventh for winning the most Winter Paralympic medals! They had already won 52 gold, 47 silver, and 52 bronze medals. That's a total of 151 medals!
At the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, France won 12 medals. This included 5 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals. They finished fifth in the medal count at those Games.
Para-alpine Skiing
French Skiers
Five talented skiers represented France in para-alpine skiing. These were Arthur Bauchet, Marie Bochet, Jordan Broisin, Frederic François, and Yohann Taberlet.
Marie Bochet is a very experienced athlete. She had already competed in four Winter Paralympic Games before Pyeongchang. Marie competes in women's standing alpine skiing. She won gold medals in the Super-G and super combined events at the 2017 Para Alpine World Championships. She also won four medals at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. Marie has been the overall World Cup champion four times!
Before the Games
In January 2018, François won a gold medal at a World Cup event in Zagreb. He won the men's sitting slalom race. At 41 years old, it was his first World Cup win, making him one of the oldest athletes to achieve this! Bochet also competed in a World Cup event in Slovenia in January 2018.
Alpine Skiing Results
French athletes showed amazing skill in para-alpine skiing.
- Marie Bochet won a gold medal in the women's downhill standing race.
- Arthur Bauchet won a silver medal in the men's downhill standing race.
- Marie Bochet also won another gold medal in the women's Super-G standing race.
- Arthur Bauchet won another silver medal in the men's Super-G standing race.
- Frederic François won a bronze medal in the men's Super-G sitting race.
Para-Nordic Skiing
French Skiers
Benjamin Daviet competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics, but he didn't win a medal then. His best result was seventh place. His first medal at a major competition was in 2017 at a race in Finsterau.
Thomas Dubois first competed for France at the 2017 World Cup in Ukraine. Before that, he was a junior champion in biathlon and cross-country skiing in France. He also finished second in both sports at the senior French championships. Thomas became blind when he was 8 years old because of a genetic disorder. This means he needs to ski with a guide skier.
It can be expensive to compete at this level. To train and go to the Winter Paralympics, it cost Thomas about €21,000. Unlike some other countries, the Fédération française handisport (the French sports federation for disabled athletes) doesn't give money to guide skiers to help with costs. Thomas had to raise money to pay for his journey. The Maubourguet Lions Club helped him get the money he needed for the Winter Paralympics.
Nordic Skiing Results
In the men's 7.5 km standing race, Benjamin Daviet of France won a gold medal!
Para-snowboarding
French Snowboarders
Three snowboarders from France competed at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. They went to Pirineo in January 2018 to prepare for the Games.
Cécile Hernandez was one of the snowboarders. She had already competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. For Maxime Montaggioni and Julien Roulet, it was their first time at the Paralympics. Cécile and Julien have arm disabilities, while Maxime has a problem with her legs. Their coaches are Olivier Noiret and Marcos Lorenzo.
In Spanish: Francia en los Juegos Paralímpicos de Pyeongchang 2018 para niños
