Happy and proudly showing his bronze medal won at the Paralympic Games in Paris, Jonas Van de Steene arrived in Lanzarote, a Belgian handbiker residing in the Lanzarote town of Playa Blanca, who on September 4, representing Belgium, climbed the podium of the time trial of paraciclismo of 28.6 km category H4, even being able to extend his record of merits the next day in the cross-country race of 74.5 km, where he was rammed by a Swiss athlete who made him go against the fences, withdraw and thus lose the option of disputing another bronze medal when there were about 18 kilometers to go to the finish line.
“I didn't expect this reception”, the athlete exclaimed elated when he saw with surprise the delegation that awaited him with a welcome banner at the César Manrique airport, where he landed on Tuesday afternoon on a flight from Brussels.
A group of friends from Playa Blanca and the Yaiza City Council, represented by the councilors of Sports, Ángel Lago, and Culture, Daniel Medina, personally conveyed their congratulations to Jonas Van de Steene for his performance in Paris, together with the feeling of pride and admiration that the municipality professes to a humble and international-level athlete who, wherever he goes, always praises Playa Blanca, the town that has welcomed him as one more son.
“The reaction after the serious accident he had in the cross-country race demonstrates the nobility and human quality of Jonas. Any other elite athlete in that circumstance, with an Olympic medal at stake, would have entered into a discussion with the rival, but he preferred to speak calmly with the person who took him out of competition, settle the matter and leave everything in a race mishap”, says Councilor Ángel Lago.
The season ended for Jonas Van de Steene with the Paralympics in Paris, now the athlete will take a well-deserved rest time and start training to face the first challenge of 2025, which is none other than the Vuelta a Playa Blanca Handbike, precisely the reference adapted sports event in Lanzarote that brought him to the south of the Island and where he decided to stay to live captivated by the conditions it offers to train and the human warmth of the people of Playa Blanca.