Flurina Rigling competes at the Paralympics in Paris for the first time and wins bronze in the individual pursuit in her first race at the Vélodrome National.
29.08.2024, 18:50
SDA
Flurina Rigling sits on a gray plastic chair in the Vélodrome National west of Versailles and can't get the smile off her face. In the minutes before, she has stood in front of various television cameras. Wrapped in a large Swiss flag, she has tried several times to put into words what happened on August 29, the first day of competition at the 17th Paralympic Games in Paris.
She is a little speechless. As she takes her seat, "Les Champs-Élysées" by Joe Dassin, a French classic, booms through the Vélodrome's loudspeakers, prompting the numerous fans in the wide circle to sing along. Anyone who wants to can use the song as a hymn of praise for Rigling, who wins bronze in the individual pursuit over 3000 m on Thursday afternoon, the first medal of these Summer Games for Swiss Paralympic.
World Championship gold and world records
"Relieved" and "proud" are other words that the Zurich native chooses to describe her feelings after what is probably the greatest success of her still young career as a cyclist. And in the five years she has been active, she has already won a lot, including four world championship titles, two of them in the individual pursuit, her favorite track discipline.
And speaking of favorite things. The Vélodrome National has now provided another argument as to why it could be Rigling's favorite track. Her second living room, so to speak. In 2022, she won her first World Championship gold medal in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and lowered the world record twice in the process.
"I feel extremely comfortable here," says Rigling. "That's why I was so happy to come back here." This feeling of well-being was also evident in the bronze medal race. In fourth place, Rigling had secured her starting place in the race for the medal at midday. Meanwhile, her rival, Germany's Maike Hausberger, had set a world record in qualifying, which was later lowered again.
Staying calm and "with herself"
But the Swiss athlete, who recently completed her master's degree in political science, impressed with her stoic calm during her first appearance on the Paralympic stage. "Keeping to herself" is what Rigling calls it when she formulates her goals for a race. She would never talk publicly about a medal. That would only open up room for negativity if nothing came of it.
It even motivated her when she saw that her competitor had set a world record, says Rigling. "I knew that I could do what she could do." That's why the Zurich native didn't let the fact that her opponent was ahead of her until two laps before the end bother her. "I have to live with the fact that I'm behind at the start because I can't get out of my saddle. That's why I have to roll up the race from the back."
Flurina Rigling showed how well she can do this in the Vélodrome National, which was heated to 32 degrees. Perhaps not for the last time.
