Félicia Ballanger facts for kids

Félicia Ballanger is a famous retired French racing cyclist. She was born on June 12, 1971, in La Roche-sur-Yon, Vendée, France. Félicia became known for her incredible speed and strength on the bicycle track. She won many important races, including Olympic gold medals and world championships. She is about 1.68 meters (5 feet 6 inches) tall and weighs around 70 kilograms (154 pounds).

Félicia's Early Life and Career

Félicia Ballanger grew up with one brother, Frédéric. Her mother was a big fan of cycling. She named Félicia after an Italian Tour de France winner, Felice Gimondi. Her brother was named after a Spanish winner, Federico Bahamontes.

Starting Sports

Félicia was good at two sports when she was young. She played handball and was also a cyclist. For cycling, she joined a team called Vendée la Roche Cycliste.

First Big Races

Félicia competed in her first world championship. She finished in fourth place. The next year, in 1992, she raced in the Olympic Games in Barcelona. She again finished fourth. In 1993, she had a bad crash. She broke her collarbone and got a splinter in her thigh from the velodrome (the special track for cycling).

Becoming a Champion

After her crash, Félicia came back stronger. She won her first world championship medal in 1994. It was a silver medal in the sprint race. She was trained by Daniel Morelon, who was also a world sprint champion.

In 1995, Félicia won her first two world championships. She won both the 500-meter time trial and the sprint race. She kept winning these two events for the next four years in a row! She also won an Olympic gold medal in the sprint at the Atlanta Olympics.

Olympic Glory and Retirement

Félicia's last big international race was the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. She won the 500-meter time trial there. She also won the sprint race, making her a triple Olympic champion. In 2001, she became a vice-president for the French Cycling Federation. This meant she helped lead cycling in France.

Félicia's Personal Life

Félicia Ballanger is married and has two children. Since 1998, she has lived in Nouméa. This is a city in a French territory called New Caledonia. She is also involved in local politics there. In 2008, she worked as a television commentator. She helped explain the cycling events during the Olympic Games in Beijing.

Félicia's Major Wins

Félicia Ballanger achieved many great things in her cycling career.

Olympic Games Medals

• 1996: 1st place in sprint
• 2000: 1st place in sprint
• 2000: 1st place in 500m time trial

World Championship Medals

• 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999: 1st place in sprint
• 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999: 1st place in 500m time trial
• 1994: 2nd place in sprint
• 1988: 1st place in junior sprint

National Championships

• Sprint: 1992, 1994, and other years
• Youth sprint: 1986

World Records

Félicia Ballanger also set several world records in the 500-meter time trial:

• 35.811 seconds on July 3, 1993, in Hyères
• 35.190 seconds on July 28, 1993, in Bordeaux
• 34.604 seconds on July 3, 1994, in Hyères
• 34.474 seconds on July 22, 1994, in Colorado Springs
• 34.017 seconds on September 29, 1995, in Bogota
• 34.010 seconds on August 29, 1998, in Bordeaux

See also

• In Spanish: Félicia Ballanger para niños