Guess who's making waves at the Paris 2024 Olympics? 🌊 It's France's own Cassandre Beaugrand, who just snagged the gold medal in the women's individual triathlon! 🥇 And get this—she did it swimming in the iconic Seine River on July 31. Talk about making a splash! 🇫🇷
This victory isn't just any win; it's France's first-ever gold in triathlon at the Olympic Games. How's that for hometown glory? 🎉
But the journey to gold wasn't all smooth sailing. Before the competition kicked off, there was a lot of chatter about the Seine's water quality. Multiple swimming practices were canceled, and the event even faced delays. 😬
Did that faze Beaugrand? Not a chance! \"We knew so many people would have asked questions. So we were prepared for that,\" she told reporters with a confident smile. \"And I'll just say, we swam in worse rivers sometimes. Like in Tokyo, I don't think it was that great. And no one was sick. We raced in the Seine the year before for the test event, and no one was sick after that.\" 💪
Her focus was laser-sharp: \"I knew that we would have actually raced, I was very confident about it. I was very focused on my race. I think I started knowing that I was racing for the podium when we were in the run, because we were like four girls and I knew that we had a little gap with the others. So I was just trying to grind my teeth and go for it, and just keep believing that I could do it.\"
And believe she did! 🤩
In the men's individual triathlon, Alex Yee of Great Britain took home the gold. 🏅 Meanwhile, the mixed relay title went to Germany's dream team: Tim Hellwig, Lisa Tertsch, Lasse Luhrs, and Laura Lindemann. 🇩🇪
The Seine might have had its doubters, but these athletes proved that with determination and a bit of grit, you can turn tides in your favor! 🌟
Reference(s):
2024 Olympic triathlon gold medalist on Seine: We swam in worse rivers
cgtn.com
