Blind judoka wins France’s first Paralympic gold in Rio

Despite being born blind, Sandrine Aurière-Martinet is one of the best judokas of her generation, winning France’s first Paralympic gold in the Rio de Janeiro games on Thursday.

Aurière-Martinet, 33, took up judo at the age of 9. She says her heightened senses of hearing and touch are the key to her success.

"When I'm wearing my kimono, I can feel the wrinkles on the fabric. I can also hear and feel my opponent's every move, so I really don't need to see," she said.

Aurière-Martinet, who works as a physiotherapist when she is not competing, showed exceptional courage at the 2012 London games, battling on stoically despite breaking her ankle in the semi-final.

"The fact that she kept fighting for another minute with a broken ankle is amazing,” said her coach Antoine Hays. “Very few people have lived through that."

Her ankle may still be still weak, but that didn’t stop Aurière-Martinet from winning the gold against German opponent Ramona Brussig in Rio.

Date created : 2016-09-09