Paris 2024: first results for Monegasque Olympic athletes
Monaco athletes on board their boat at the 2024 Olympic Games opening ceremony © Monegasque Olympic Committee
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are in full swing and the Monegasque athletes are trying to give it their all at the prestigious event. The Monegasque delegation may be small in size but it’s big on determination to compete with the best in the world.
At the opening ceremony, the flag-bearers Lisa Pou and Théo Druenne led the Monaco delegation with pride in front of the Parisian spectators. Lisa Pou, the marathon swimming specialist, and Théo Druenne, the 800 metres freestyle swimmer, both showed exemplary determination and enthusiasm.
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Let’s take a look at our athletes’ early results.
Quentin Antognelli through to quarter finals
Quentin Antognelli, the Monegasque rower, made a big ‘splash,’ finishing fourth in his skiff heat (2,000 metres) with a time of 7:025 at Vaires-sur-Marne. Despite this performance, he was in the repechages on Sunday morning, where he faced competitors from Thailand, Indonesia, India and Libya.
The Rock’s rower bounced back brilliantly, winning his race with a time of 7:10.00, ahead of India (7:12.41) and Indonesia (7:19.60). His quarter final was scheduled for Tuesday morning at 10.10 am
Xiaoxin Yang knocked out in the round of 32
Unfortunately, there was a hard blow for Xiaoxin Yang in the table tennis tournament. After a bye in the first round thanks to her ranking, she was unfortunately beaten by the Czech Hana Matelova (4-2) in the round of 32.
The Monegasque table tennis player, after trailing 2-0, managed to come back to 2-2 but lost the last two sets.
Théo Druenne seventh in the 800m freestyle
Swimmer Theo Druenne (19) took seventh place in his 800-metre freestyle heat with a time of 8:25.01, improving on his qualifying time of 8:32.98.
Although his performance didn’t enable him to progress to the next round, it bodes well for the rest of his career.
Special mention for Antoine Zeghdar and his rugby gold medal
The French Rugby 7s team celebrated in style, winning their first gold medal on home soil by beating the formidable and unpredictable Fiji team in the final.
Born in the Principality and trained at AS Monaco Rugby, Antoine Zeghdar played a crucial role in the historic victory, as the Bleus dominated the 2024 Paris Olympic Games Rugby 7s tournament.
