French triumph in BMX racing: Daudet leads historic clean sweep
PARIS: In a stunning display of skill and speed, Joris Daudet led a French clean sweep of the podium in men’s BMX racing on Friday, securing the long-awaited Olympic medals for France. Daudet’s compatriots, Sylvain Andre and Romain Mahieu, took silver and bronze, respectively, in front of an ecstatic home crowd at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines stadium, with chants of “allez les bleus” filling the air.
The event, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, saw the three Frenchmen explode out of the starting ramp and maintain their lead throughout the final, navigating the bumpy, winding course in perfect 1-2-3 formation, creating a mesmerizing blue-and-white streak.
“To achieve first, second, and third, we knew that it was possible, that there was a slim chance, and we all wanted to win the race. I’m glad that we did, and not the others,” Andre told reporters after the race.
France has a storied history in BMX racing, with 50 gold medals amassed at world championships since 1982. Both Daudet and Mahieu currently hold the top two positions in the world rankings. However, Olympic success had largely eluded them, with only two medals since the sport’s Olympic debut in Beijing in 2008.
