Teuber battles for second place following a mishap, Hausberger clinches gold
The Paralympic Games' eighth day shines brightly for Germany's team in cycling: Competitors from Germany vie for gold and silver medals. Long-time participant Michael Teuber pulls off an impressive comeback, while Maike Hausberger clinches her initial victory as a world champion.
Hausberger, 29, who was born with spastic hemiparesis (left side paralysis), earned the sixth German gold medal at the Paris Paralympics in the C1-3 road time trial class with a victorious time of 21:30.45 minutes over the 14.1-kilometer course. Preceding her, Michael Teuber secured the silver medal.
Hausberger bested the second-placed British rider, Frances Brown, by 15.8 seconds on the hilly course featuring two challenging climbs and a total ascent of 140 meters.
Before Hausberger, swimmers Josia Topf and Tanja Scholz, shooter Natascha Hiltrop, and wheelchair fencer Maurice Schmidt had each claimed gold. Hausberger's triumph in Paris marks her inaugural win at the Paralympics, in her third appearance.
Five-time Paralympic champion Teuber, who has been an incomplete paraplegic since a 1987 car accident, had to content himself with silver in the C1 time trial, finishing in 21:18.14 minutes - just behind Spain's Ricardo Ten Argiles, who clocked in at 20:39.53 minutes. Pierre Senska took the fourth spot, finishing 40 seconds behind the bronze.
Unfortunate circumstances struck Teuber in March during Lanzarote's training camp. After colliding with a car traveling at 50 km/h, he sustained a broken sixth thoracic vertebra, several ribs, and an open tibia fracture. Following surgery, the reigning world champion battled back to top form and put in a heroic effort, ultimately earning the silver medal.
Hausberger's triumph in cycling further boosts Germany's success at the Paralympics. Despite facing a tough challenge on the hilly course, Teuber's silver medal in cycling showcases his resilience and determination.
