Ex-tenniswoman Amélie Oudéa-Castéra wins Sports and the Olympics – Liberation

The director general of the French Tennis Federation, a former player with many diplomas, is appointed Minister of Sports and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This senior executive from the private sector will have the difficult task of carrying out the sporting event of the five-year term.

Judging by the CV of Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, the new Minister of Sports, the Olympic and Paralympic Games ticks all the boxes of the post: a former high-level sportswoman (junior semi-finalist at Roland-Garros), enarque , daughter of an enarque and worked in the private sector (Axa, Carrefour), which therefore benefits from knowing the business world and understanding the requirements of sponsors. In short, AOC, 44, is not a pure child of the ball. She also left the field quite quickly, deciding to hang up the racket in 1996, just after her baccalaureate. The Parisian then goes on to Sciences-Po Paris, Essec and ENA (Senghor promotion).

However, this ministry which seems cut out for her has already slipped away from her. It was in 2017. The day after the election of Emmanuel Macron, the one who was then responsible for digital at Axa remembers the good memories of her classmate from the ENA by letting him know that she stands by his disposition for the position. It is ultimately the former fencer Laura Flessel who will be chosen, but the former doubles partner of Amélie Mauresmo is not discouraged. At the end of 2017, when Paris had just obtained the organization of the 2024 Olympics, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra applied to be CEO of the Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (Cojo).

“Not the type to stroll”

Again, it is another who is chosen, but instead of sulking at the back of the court, she goes back to the net and obtains the presidency of the Paris 2024 audit committee, responsible in particular for monitoring the expenses of the Games. A strategic position which undoubtedly weighed in the choice of his appointment, just over two years from this great world event. France wants to make it a showcase of tricolor excellence in sporting, architectural and environmental matters, while remaining within the nails of the budget, estimated at 7.3 billion euros. A challenge commensurate with this big boss, who sleeps little and leads a double, even triple life: she wrote Macron’s sports program while ensuring the management of the FFT and raising three boys. “She has a strong temper, not the type to hang out, she is 150% invested“, assured the political scientist Alain Duhamel, who is also his godfather, in the portrait dedicated to him Release in June 2021, the day after his appointment as head of Roland-Garros.

She is also the type to set the bar very high. “It is necessary to put back the requirement. In this country, we like to hear people say that we have talent and potential. We lack gnaque. Tennis is a priesthood and only those who inflict the ultimate sacrifices achieve it. she confided to Release. The other side of the coin – and something in common with her former classmate – she has the reputation of being a bit control freak the edges. But not disruptive like his new boss. “Thanks to Emmanuel Macron and Elisabeth Borne for their trust. In the France of the Paris 2024 Games, sport will be at the heart of our society, with all its actors and all its athletes. It must be a pillar for youth, an asset for health and a driver of inclusion“, she tweeted Friday after the announcement of her appointment, uninspired.

Behind the scenes, she is married to Frédéric Oudéa, who has headed Société Générale since the Kerviel affair in 2008. Coincidentally, the boss of the second largest French bank announced this week that he would leave his post in a year. In an interview with Echos published on Friday morning, the soon to be in his sixties explained that “personal considerationshad pushed him to make this decision. Long live parity: while Madame will preside over the sporting destinies of France, Monsieur will have time to take their three boys (16, 14 and 11) to play tennis who, it seems, also tease the yellow ball.