Karl Tabouret won France's third gold medal of the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Paralympics on Wednesday, with his victory in the men's 10km cross country race.
The 22-year-old finished the interval start classic standing course in Tesero 28 seconds ahead of Raman Svirydzenka of Belarus. Canada's Mark Arendz took the bronze.
Last Saturday, Tabouret finished 12th in the men's sprint standing biathlon.
"I went for this medal for myself and also for the team," Tabouret told French broadcaster France TV after Wednesday's win.
"I hadn't managed to win one a few days ago and that pushed me to give it my all today. The snow was very soft, and at times I thought I was going to fall. It takes a lot of training, we've been preparing for several years, and of course, with intensive training, it pays off."
On 8 March, Céclile Hernandez claimed France's first gold when she won the women's snowboard cross SB-LL.
Two days later, Arthur Bauchet notched up the second in the para alpine skiing men's super combined standing.
Tabouret's triumph took France up to fifth in the medals table with three golds, four silvers and two bronze. China led the way with 25 medals, including nine gold on the fifth day of competition sinnce the opening ceremony on Friday night in Verona.
French Olympics chiefs hope to build on ’momentum’ of record medal haul in 2030
The 14th Winter Paralympic Games launched amid controversy after nine countries boycotted the opening ceremony in protest over the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow para athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags.
They had been banned from competing under their own flags, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A partial ban was then introduced in 2023, allowing them to compete under a neutral flag at the Paris Summer Paralympics in 2024.
