In Vaires-sur-Marne (Seine-et-Marne), the rain has finally stopped, the Olympic nautical stadium has regained its rural side. The site, which will host the Olympic canoe-kayak events in 2024, has in recent weeks turned into an unexpected fallback ground. The health crisis making, the courses planned in Tokyo were canceled, the European nations then chose Vaires-sur-Marne as their training camp.
“It’s a basin of the same standard as in Tokyo, with the same type of water movement, the same current power,” decrypts the céiste Martin Thomas. It’s a chance to be able to train on an almost similar pool, it’s a lesser evil. “Although the international circuit was stopped, we did not necessarily suffer from the restrictions, notes Ludovic Royé, national technical director (DTN) of the French Canoeing Federation, we reorganized. “
VIDEO. Vaires-sur-Marne: the nautical stadium is the first Olympic site delivered
Due to border closures, the traditional course in Australia has been relocated to Reunion Island. “A godsend because we were very well received and it is now there that we will go,” continues the DTN. Other nations follow us. “For lack of official competitions, the ten countries present on the island organized confrontations. “In this type of situation, you learn to adapt logistically,” said Guillaume Chiellino, director of the French sailing teams.
According to their series, the French crews settled for several months in the Canary Islands, in the south of Portugal or in Spain, leaving aside the internships in Australia, Brazil or the United States. As for canoeing, several nations have come together, “following the international dynamic”, emphasizes Guillaume Chiellino. Sometimes the strategy is invited into the game.
Bluffing in the prep
“After our silver medal at the European Championships, we thought we would be bankable and be able to access the training group we wanted, says Quentin Delapierre (Nacra 17), we imagined going to Sardinia with the Argentines, Olympic champions, the English, world champions and the Italians. We must have scared them! “. The duo therefore retreated to Lanzarote (Canary Island), with a dozen other nations. “There were many of us, but not with the best,” points out Quentin. “We would perhaps have suffered the rhythm and the working rules of others, they would perhaps have walked us a little as that suited them”, tempers Manon.
The part of bluffing lasted all the preparation. The top three crews stayed between them for five months in Sardinia, the French with the bulk of the fleet in the Canaries, while others, like the New Zealanders, Australians and Brazilians, were stranded at home. “They arrived on the last stage, it made them very funny to meet people, underlines Manon. They haven’t lost touch, but you can tell they spent some time on their own. It is not so trivial to train alone for a year. “
All will not discover the site of Enoshima, in southern Japan, until July 15. “We have not seen the lake since the 2019 test event, recalls Guillaume Chiellino. But all the countries are in the same case and, to compensate, a cell has prepared a playbook which will allow to know all the intricacies of the site. »The period of isolation, whether in Lanzarote or Santander (Spain) for Manon Audinet and Quentin Delapierre (Nacra 17) or in Vilamoura (Portugal) for Camille Lecointre and Aloïse Retornaz (470), allowed the crews to tighten up the connections. “So far, it was a good test to see if we still support each other,” laughs Manon Audinet. In sailing, as in canoeing, the virus spared the French.
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