- All individuals wept: triumphant Hausberger marks golden achievement
Hausberger, a 29-year-old cyclist with left-side paralysis, shed tears of joy after clinching Paralympics gold in the individual time trial in Clichy-sous-Bois. She beat her competitors, crediting her success to the support of her team, including technicians, mechanics, and physios. Hausberger completed the 14.2km course in 21:45.30, securing a comfortable lead over Britain's Frances Brown.
Doubts at the finish line
Upon finishing, Hausberger was unsure of her victory until her manager presented the results. Overwhelmed, she broke down, exclaiming, "This is amazing!"
Her journey wasn't always smooth sailing. Before switching to para-cycling in 2018, Hausberger was involved in para-triathlon, but quit training at a high level when her class wasn't selected for the Paralympics. "I considered quitting multiple times. The past few years have been challenging," Hausberger reflected.
Transition to cycling
Despite the setbacks, Hausberger remained passionate about sports. She shifted to para-cycling and trained at the Cottbus center. Ten months later, she became the world champion in the road race, and the highlights continued, with five more world titles in both track and road cycling.
Hausberger's medal collection isn't complete yet. She aims to secure another medal in the final road race on Saturday. At the previous World Championships in Glasgow, she bagged a bronze. "There's definitely something special about this event," she smiled.
Teuber's silver triumph
56-year-old Michael Teuber, also paralyzed from the waist down, had reasons to celebrate after securing silver. He lost only to Spain's Ricardo Ten Argiles. "I'm ecstatic!" Teuber exclaimed, his face beaming.
In March, he suffered a serious accident in Lanzarote, breaking several ribs, a thoracic vertebra, and the clavicle. "It's been a difficult year with the spring accident, but I'm still managed to snag a medal," Teuber emphasized.
Zeyen-Giles and Schindler clinch bronze
Annika Zeyen-Giles and Matthias Schindler added to Germany's medal count with their third-place finishes. Despite missing out on her Tokyo 2021 gold, the 39-year-old Zeyen-Giles was more than content. "I'm thrilled to have walked away with bronze," she said. Schindler successfully defended his bronze medal from three years ago.
The United Kingdom's Frances Brown put up a strong fight in the individual time trial event, ultimately finishing in second place, just behind Hausberger. After her successful campaign in Glasgow, Hausberger hopes to add another medal to her collection during the final road race for The United Kingdom in the Paralympics.
