An unforgettable debut in Milan-Cortina
The Spanish skier Audrey Pascual has left an indelible mark at the Winter Paralympics taking place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, by winning the first medal for the national delegation. This Saturday, Pascual achieved a silver in the downhill event, marking a significant milestone as the first Spanish woman with a physical disability to win a winter Paralympic medal in alpine skiing.
At just 21 years old, Audrey was not only the flag bearer for Spain during the opening ceremony, but she also faced her own fears and challenges. In the weeks leading up to the Games, she confessed to feeling great fear regarding the speed of downhill, a discipline she decided to try this season. “In my first race, I was terrified, I cried at the finish line,” she shared with Europa Press.
Pascual arrived at these Games after a standout performance in the World Cup, where she accumulated 17 medals. Her performance earned her the status of a favourite for the podium. At the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, where the competition took place, Audrey had to manage not only her nerves but also the expectations generated by her recent success.
In her final run, she started confidently and maintained a solid pace. Although she initially lost time to her main competitor, the German Anna-Lena Forster, she managed to close the gap to just five hundredths of a second from gold. Forster's experience was key; although she made a small mistake during her descent, she quickly recovered and finished with a time of 1:25.79.
Audrey Pascual not only adds another medal to the Spanish medal tally; this achievement represents the 44th for Spain at the Winter Paralympics and is particularly significant following the blank result four years ago in Beijing. Moreover, she is the first Spanish skier to reach the winter Olympic podium since 1998.
Under the watchful eye of the president of the Higher Sports Council (CSD), José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, Audrey celebrated her success while already thinking about the upcoming events. With four more events ahead during these Paralympic Games, expectations are high and Spanish fans are eager to see more achievements from this talented athlete.
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