The Arena Paris Sud has found its queen. She is 19 years old, blonde and called Flora Vautier. In one week, the young woman who lives in Vence in the Alpes-Maritimes, has transformed herself into a true ping pong star. "A star is born" in a very short week thanks to the magic of the Paralympic Games. "This is what I came looking for but it exceeded all my expectations," happily says the Villepinte native. I have almost 20,000 followers on Instagram. And people can't stop chanting my name. It was crazy fast.
In one week, Flora Vautier played three quarter-finals in singles against the world number 1, the German Mikolaschek, whom she really bothered, in doubles with Alexandre Saint-Pierre and especially in mixed doubles with Florian Merrien. With her partner who is 20 years older, Flora won her first Paralympic medal, bronze.
At her side, Florian Merrien saw the chrysalis transform into a butterfly. "I gave myself an improbable look by growing a moustache," laughs Florian. "It was to play a bit on the Lady and the Tramp side. But it was also to make her laugh. I told myself that when we look at the photos in 20 years, we would find it very funny." Beyond the physical aspect, it is especially on the table that Flora has taken on another dimension. "I have never seen her play like that," continues Florian Merrien. "She reached an incredible level during these Games. She is no longer the same Flora."
“Bitting gold in Los Angeles”
After her defeat against Mikolaschek, Flora Vautier was already looking ahead. Because with her, everything goes at a hundred miles an hour. "Paris is over, and I'm already looking at Los Angeles. I don't know how, but I'm going to bite the gold there. That's all I care about now."
Paris has finished completing the transformation of Queen Flora. We discovered her a week ago on the reserve, all intimacy by the prestigious setting of her Games and here she is now a lioness who only asks to roar. "I didn't know what effect the encouragement of the public would have on me, continues the one who plays in Nîmes in club. Today, I know that it transcends me. Thanks to the encouragement, I freed myself and I reached a level that surprises even me. For me, this is only the beginning. I really want to be in Los Angeles to grow even more."
In the meantime, the Flo-Flo (Florian Merrien and Flora Vautier) will savour the last days of these Games and encourage the other French players still in the running. "We're going to enjoy it until the end," says Flora. "I love this French team. Boys like Fabien (Lamirault) or Florian (Merrien) are there for me and consider me as their daughter. I'm lucky to be around them."
For the young woman, who dreamed of GRS when she was little, it is a beautiful revenge on life. She, who was the victim of a road accident at 10 years old, leaving her paraplegic, has become a role model for young people. Her tears after her victory in the quarter-finals and her determination touched an audience, happy to have witnessed the birth of a champion.
The bronze medal of happiness. Of course, three years ago in Tokyo Matéo Boheas won the silver medal and finishing 3rd in Paris could seem like a regression. Except that it is not the case and this Tuesday, the 27-year-old Frenchman simply lost to the legend of his Class 10 category, the Pole Patryk Chojnowski.
An opponent that the native of Loire-Atlantique had perfectly presented in the columns of Le Parisien, after his magnificent success in the semi-finals where he had overthrown the Japanese Mahiro Funayama in five sets after being led two sets to one: "I have been tense since the start of the Games. And now, the pressure is finally easing thanks to this medal. For tomorrow (this Tuesday), against the Pole, I want to play a great match. If I win, it will be a real feat because I have lost 12 times in 12 matches against him. I am not doing better than the other players since the Pole has been undefeated since 2019."
Assured of the medal, Matéo Boheas had nothing to lose in this semi-final against a legend of world para-table tennis. Thus, carried by the crowd at the Arena Paris Sud, the Frenchman played an excellent first set, where he was neck and neck with the Pole until 7-8, the moment chosen by Chojnowski to accelerate and make the difference (8-11). But no reason to blush against a double Paralympic champion in singles (2012 and 2021). Unfortunately, on the momentum of winning the first set, the Pole went it alone in the following set (4-11).
With his back to the wall, Matéo Boheas gave his all to come out with his head held high and he quickly took a three-point lead (6-3). An advantage that he maintained with a "your turn, mine" that did its job (7-4, 8-5), before delivering the final blow (11-9) despite a good comeback from his rival. But the Frenchman's exploits stopped there. Chojnowski tightened the screw at the start of the fourth set (2-5) and Bohéas made too many mistakes to keep hope alive. Even though he came back one last time (5-5) and even saved three match points, Bohéas ended up losing (9-11) to the Pole who validated his ticket for a fourth consecutive final at the Games. A legend, we told you.
