The first month of the year is coming to an end but good habits do not change and the sport continues to delight young and old. Le Parisien offers a selection of issues before each weekend and details the events not to be missed in Île-de-France. Overview.
The event of the weekend: the Grand Prix d’Amérique in Vincennes
HIPPISM. This is the meeting of the year for lovers of harnessed trotting. Created in 1920 as a tribute to the commitment of the American people during the First World War, the Grand Prix d’Amérique, renamed the Prix d’Amérique Legend Race since 2021, is considered the world championship for trotters. Taking place on the last Sunday of January at the Hippodrome de Vincennes in Paris, it is reserved for the 18 best horses aged 4 to 11 (whose winnings in the race must have exceeded €153,000) who challenge each other over the 2,700 meters of Track. In addition to the prestige of having his name on the list of winners of the event, the winner pockets a check for 450,000 euros. Last year the race was won by Nicolas Bazire. The youngest winner of the event (at 21) who will not defend his title on Sunday.
Publicized in 36 countries, this event goes beyond horse racing and welcomes more than 40,000 people each year, including many personalities. The hippodrome opens its doors at 10:30 a.m. for a day of festivities with 11 races and the always-awaited parade of the Republican Guard at 3:50 p.m. The Prix d’Amérique Legend Race will start at 4:25 p.m. sharp.
The weekend outing: the Thoiry Night Race
COURSE A PIED. After the three successful editions of the Thoiry Wild Race, discover in the Yvelines the first edition of the Thoiry Night Race: three courses (1, 5, 10 km at 4.30 p.m., 5 p.m. and 5.15 p.m.) including two at night, through 150 hectares nature through the animal park and an arrival at the heart of 2,000 illuminations. During your race, you will cross forest paths, paved and stabilized, with flat, varied elevations and also some steps. Under these conditions, the headlamp is of course strongly recommended!
Part of the profits from the race will be donated to Thoiry Conservation to act for the conservation of animals. The prices, which include the race bib + entry to the ZooSafari and the Lumières Sauvages are as follows: 1 km: €25, 5 km: €28, 10km: €39 (single price accompanying adult/child: €17). A discount for annual pass holders is applied. Finally, note that no access to the park will be possible between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and no movement will be possible within the park during this time slot. For further information: [email protected].
The match not to be missed: Gap awaits Grenoble at Bercy
ICE HOCKEY. After a two-year hiatus due to the health crisis, the great celebration of French hockey returns to the Accor Arena where the final of the Coupe de France will be played this Sunday at 3 p.m. between the Brûleurs De Loups de Grenoble and the Raptors of Gap. In an enclosure ready to boil, with supporters who came in large numbers to support two of the best French teams, the future winner of the competition will lift the Pete Laliberté Trophy, which this year has a whole new face, and will succeed the champion of the edition. previous, the Dukes of Angers.
The player to watch: Victor Wembanyama and the Mets welcome Roanne
BASKET. Attention danger for the Metropolitans! Vincent Collet’s players, who remain on three narrow successes in 2023, welcome Roanne this Friday to the Marcel-Cerdan sports palace in Levallois on behalf of the 19th day of Betclic Elite. They will have revenge to take since the Roannais had stopped a series of 9 Mets victories during the first leg. Roanne is also one of the pet peeves of the Mets since he won both duels last season.
To avoid such a scenario, the Boulogne club will have to display a different face than that presented since the beginning of the year. Starting with Victor Wembanyama. The prodigy of French basketball seems to have marked the blow for a few weeks. After three first half-hearted outings in 2023, and far from his usual performances this season – with 15 points against Asvel, 16 points against Dijon then 11 points at Fos (his 2nd worst total in a match with the Mets) -, Wemby will have to regain his performance to allow his team to score a 4th success, stay in the wake of leader Monaco and take their revenge on Roanne.
The number: 6
BASKET. Like the number of defeats suffered at home this season by Pascal Donnadieu’s players. It is an understatement to say that Nanterre had a hard time imposing its law on its parquet floor at the Maurice-Thorez sports palace this season. In nine games, Benjamin Sene’s partners have won only three. A very meager harvest, one of the worst in the history of the club, which is partly explained by the incredible series of player injuries. A real disaster. “We couldn’t play a single match with the team we had imagined this summer,” says Frédérique Donnadieu. Eight players in the professional workforce (out of 10) have already been arrested for varying lengths of time due to physical glitches. A reaction is however expected this Saturday for the arrival of Portel.
A crucial match in the race to maintain. Nanterre, who remains on 4 losses in 5 days, has only one victory ahead of his opponent in the evening… who himself has the same number of points as the first relegation player. A setback for the Nanterriens could therefore have dramatic consequences for the Nanterriens. Faced with this situation, President Frédéric Donnadieu insisted on recalling “the importance of the meeting”. “I went to talk to the players at the start of the week, it’s something I rarely do,” he said.
To admire world champions: the Hauts-de-Seine International Foil Challenge
FENCING. Did you miss them two weeks ago? Nothing is lost. For this 6th edition of the Challenge International des Hauts-de-Seine, Bourg-la-Reine, the organizing club, is counting on the participation of the entire French men’s foil team (Olympic champion in Tokyo) and that of the French women’s foil team (Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo), including Ysaora Thibus, individual world champion in 2022 and member of the club. Among the men, Enzo Lefort, double individual world champion in 2019 and 2022, will challenge his compatriots as well as the Hong Konger Cheung Ka Long, Olympic champion in 2021, vice-world champion in 2022.
The competition takes place at the Bas-Coquarts Sports Complex and begins this Saturday with the playoffs, from 1 p.m. On Sunday, the men’s competition resumes (8 hours) with the Saturday qualifiers and the shooters ranked in the top 32 of the national ranking or the top 64 of the world ranking (10 hours for women). The simultaneous semi-finals are scheduled from 3:30 p.m., followed by the two finals.
The big event: the European Indoor Rowing Championships
ROWING. It’s going to be rowing dry at Coubertin this weekend. Nearly 3,000 practitioners, aged 12 to 97, from all over France and 27 foreign countries, will set foot on the floor of the den of the PSG handball players from 9 a.m., on the occasion of the European Championships. indoor rowing. Whether they are amateurs, experienced, Sunday rowers, champions or crossfitters, everyone will have the opportunity to perform, whether the goal is victory, a top 10 or a personal challenge.
It is also a unique opportunity to meet and even face the best rowers and rowers in France and Europe, in particular the Blues Olympic and Paralympic medalists, Claire Bové, Laura Tarantola, Perle Bouge or even Nathalie Benoît. Benoît Brunet and Ferdinand Ludwig, both vice-champions of France 2022, will also be present on the Coubertin floor. Hugo Boucheron will not take part in the competition but will be present at Coubertin to celebrate the world title won in September 2022 alongside Matthieu Androdias.
The rookie: shooter Michael Rool arrives at Paris Basketball
BASKETBALL. Currently 11th in Betclic Elite but eager to participate in its first playoffs, Paris Basketball has recruited experienced rear-winger Michael Roll (1.98m, 35 years old). Arrived as a medical replacement for Kyle Allman (ankle), the American-Tunisian – he is a Tunisian international – has signed up until the end of the season. He is renowned for his devilish 3-point skill. With 122 EuroLeague games, he had been without a club since the start of the season.
The sentence: “Ibrahim realizes his dream”, Vladan Jelic, president of Paris Volleyball
VOLLEYBALL. The announcement fell on Wednesday morning. Ibrahim Lawani, the young (21) and talented striker from Paris Volley, will no longer play a match with the capital club. He responded favorably to the offer of Italian club Taranto, which he joined the same day. It is therefore without their best player – author of 24 points last weekend ace at Tours for his last match with the Parisian tunic – that the players of Dorian Rougeyron – the coach who will leave him at the end of the season – will move to Poitiers this Saturday and finish the end of the season. If the objective is still to grab the top 8 and play in the playoffs (Paris is currently 9th), the mission now looks even more complicated. “Ibrahim (Lawani) realizes his dream, he wanted to go play in Italy, explains Parisian president Vladan Jelic. Even if he still had a year left on his contract, he would probably have left next summer in the event. We have no plans to replace him, we can’t do anything financially. But even if his departure weakens us, we have already won games without him this season. »
THE PROGRAM
BASKET. Betclic Elite (19th day): BOULOGNE-LEVALLOIS – Roanne (Friday, 8.30 p.m., Palais des Sports Marcel Cerdan in Levallois); NANTERRE – Le Portel (Saturday, 8 p.m., Palais des Sports Maurice Thorez); Dijon – PARIS (Saturday, 8 p.m.).
GYMNASTIC. TOP 12 GAM (4th day): FRANCONVILLE – VELIZY (Saturday, 4 p.m., specialist room Raymond Blaisel). TOP 12 GAF (1st day): Hyères – COMBS.
ICE HOCKEY. Magnus League (36th day): Rouen – CERGY-PONTOISE (Friday, 8 p.m.). French Cup Final : Gap – Grenoble (Sunday, 3 p.m., Accor Arena).
RUGBY. Top 14 (matchday 16): Perpignan – STADE FRANCAIS (Saturday, 5 p.m.); RACING – La Rochelle (Saturday, 9:05 p.m., Paris La Défense Arena in Nanterre). Pro D2 : MASSY – Montauban (Friday, 7:30 p.m., Jules Ladoumègue stadium).
VOLLEY. Ligue A (18th day): Poitiers – PARIS (Saturday, 7.30 p.m.); Saint-Nazaire – LE PLESSIS-ROBINSON (Saturday, 8 p.m.). Women’s A League (Day 17): STADE FRANCAIS PARIS SAINT-CLOUD – Mulhouse (Saturday, 8 p.m., Geo-André gymnasium); Le Cannet – LEVALLOIS (Saturday, 8.30 p.m.).
