Milan Cortina Paralympics Snowboard
Silver medalist Kate Delson, of the United States, from left, gold medalist Cecile Hernandez, of France, and bronze medalist Wang Xinyu, of China, pose after the women's snowboard cross SB-LL2 final at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka
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It was one of those days for Para snowboarding veteran Cécile Hernandez — one of those Friday the 13th kind of days. The 51-year-old Frenchwoman was among the favorites to win the gold medal in the banked slalom race at the Milan Cortina Paralympics. But when she just missed the podium by finishing fourth it was the last straw. Her day started with losing her mouthguard, then spilling coffee, forgetting her board then collecting the wrong one. Hernandez appeared to be crying while she passed through the media area after her race. She gestured as if not understanding what happened during her run. She says "It’s Friday the 13th.”
