Sandra Laoura (born July 21, 1980 in Constantine , Algeria ) is a former French freestyle skier . She was on the moguls specialized disciplines, contained moguls and dual moguls. In 2007 she had to end her sports career after a serious accident.
Born in Algeria, Laoura moved to France with her parents at the age of two - first to Avignon and later to the winter sports area of La Plagne , where she learned to ski. In winter 1999/00 she took part in the European Cup and won the overall ranking of both mogul slope disciplines. She made her debut in the Freestyle World Cup on March 15, 2000 in Livigno , where she achieved 6th place in the Moguls competition and immediately won her first World Cup points. In the following season 2000/01 she was able to establish herself at the top of the world; at the 2001 World Cup , she achieved the best result to date with fifth place.
At the 2002 Winter Olympics , Laoura was eighth. After she was in the top ten three times in the 2001/02 World Cup season, she managed ten times in 2002/03. She achieved her first podium finish on January 18, 2003 as second in Lake Placid . In the winter of 2003/04 nine more top 10 placings followed, but it was not enough for the podium. The 2004/05 season was similar with six top 10 placements. In the 2005/06 World Cup season, Laoura took two second and one third place. At the 2006 Winter Olympics , she won the bronze medal behind the Canadian Jennifer Heil and the Norwegian Kari Traa .
On January 5, 2007, before the Moguls World Cup competition in Mont Gabriel , Canada , Laoura fell badly in training. While jumping, she hit her head hard on the floor and broke two vertebrae . Despite an emergency operation in Montreal , she has since been paralyzed in her legs and is undergoing lengthy therapy in order to be able to walk again. Laoura has been working as a radio and television commentator since her accident, including for Europe 1 , Canal + , France Télévisions and Eurosport .
France
