Emmanuel Macron received the Olympic and Paralympic medalists from Tokyo on Monday evening to “celebrate” and “prepare” the Paris 2024 Olympics, the Games “at home” where it will be necessary to “do a lot more” in terms of medals. Among them, the Guadeloupe judoka Teddy Riner or the basketball player Rudy Gobert.
In front of more than a hundred medalists, some not being able to be there like the French volleyball players currently playing a round of 16 of the Euro, the President of the Republic reviewed the best moments of the Tokyo Games under the eyes of the presidential candidate and PS mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, and of another candidate, the president of the region Valérie Pécresse.
But, he admitted, “the results are not quite what we expected,” he said, less than three years before the Paris Games.
Top 5 goal
The French team has indeed remained in Tokyo below its objectives and standards with 33 medals after 42 in Rio.
“The success of the Games will be the success of our athletes because it works like that“, he insisted Monday evening in front of the sportsmen and the leaders of the French sport, before decorating the sportsmen of the Legion of honor or of the national order of the merit.
“We have to do a lot more, because these are our Games, at home, we are expected“, placing the objective of integrating”the top 5“but without giving any other figure. He promised that the State would not fail to support French athletes, recalling the current philosophy of”focus our efforts on high potential disciplines“.
Asked about this objective, in particular to be part of the five best in the world, Claude Onesta, manager of high performance, explained to a few journalists that he “used to live with pressure“. Achievable the Top 5?”It’s a challenge, it’s the thing you want to go get“, launched this former architect of the success of French handball with two titles at the Olympics. Describing the results of the Tokyo Olympics as”disappointing“, he has just given the government a precise report and recommendations for the Paris Olympics.
Teddy Riner now an officer of the Legion of Honor
Triple Olympic champion, the judoka Teddy Riner, regular of the place – he comes for the “fourth time” – explained when arriving at the ceremony that it was always a “great honor” and “great pride“. He was elevated to the rank of officer of the Legion of Honor.
During these Olympics, the judoka added to his collection a gold medal and a bronze medal.
Asked about Emmanuel Macron’s promise to make France a “sporting nation” for the Paris 2024 Olympics, the judoka replied: “France is a great sporting nation, but telling yourself that we are going to win 90 medals in Paris 2024, no. You have to do a lot more things to claim 90 medalists in 3 years“.
Two other compatriots were also present, basketball player Rudy Gobert or foil player Enzo Lefort.
Inspire youth
During the day, the Guadeloupe judoka and several Olympic medalists went to Dinsey to meet 30 young people from the Volunteer Military Service.
“You always have to believe in your dreams.” In the cozy setting of the “New York” hotel in Disneyland (Marne-la-Vallée), Teddy Riner and a handful of Olympic medalist judokas in Tokyo met on Monday (September 13), 30 young people, aged 18 to 25 years, of the Voluntary Military Service (SMV) to evoke the themes of inspiration and sharing.
“It is not by sitting in front of a screen that you can achieve your goals. All the people you see here have worked hard to become champions,” said the 32-year-old judoka, in front of an audience mesmerized by his presence.
In turn, a dozen young people took the microphone to ask questions on themes as diverse as self-confidence, the preparation of champions and their professional retraining. Carefully selected questions, to which the nine athletes answered, emphasizing their personal experience dotted with failures and successes.
“As a public figure, it is important to testify to young people who seek to integrate professionally. The message is to give 100% and not to let go. I am the first concerned. Before the Games, I could have let everything go with my injury, but I decided to fight for a medal“, declared the Guadeloupe.
“At our small scale, we can open doors to people. It’s part of the magic of our job. People look at us with big eyes. We went through the same galleys as them“, added Romane Dicko, double European champion and considered the new phenomenon of French judo, at only 21 years old.
Heir to Compulsory Military Service
Established in 2015, under the mandate of François Hollande, the Voluntary Military Service has seven centers in France, targeting young “job dropouts”, according to Warrant Officer François, section chief at the SMV.
“We work with employment centers and local missions to attract young people looking for professional integration. Then they basically work as vendors or waiters“, he said.
Heir to the compulsory military service, definitively stopped in 2001 by Jacques Chirac, this device created in 2015 provides training of 5 weeks, followed by additional training of four months, during which registrants can obtain the driving license or the certificate. first aid worker.
According to the Ministry of the Armed Forces, 5,000 people have been trained since its inception, with a professional integration rate of 70%.
