Words that do not pass for Kevin Rolland. Barely selected for the freestyle ski world championships which will take place next weekend in Bakuriani (Georgia), the bronze medalist in Sochi in 2014, absent from the circuit since his 6th place at the Beijing Games a year ago , reacted on Eurosport to the words of his manager at the FFS, Fabien Bertrand. “I did not feel respected,” said the Savoyard in particular.
“He put down his run from the Sochi Games (where he had won bronze) and he said to himself that he still had the level. Afterwards, he asked us if we could register him. And given his track record and his experience, it was hard to say no. But the deal is not to provide him with coaching. Greg Guenet (coach of the French freestyle team) must focus on slopestyle and then big air. Especially since nothing is expected of him in terms of results. »
A last sentence that made Kevin Rolland react: “I feel like I’m being punished. I’ve been doing World Cups since 2006. I’ve brought back five World Championship titles, three Crystal Globes, an Olympic medal and I’m not talking about the X Games. I still think I played the game. I have my coaches on site in Georgia but with this decision, the members of the federation decide that they will not be able to come and train me because they consider that I no longer have my place here. »
“I don’t want to complain either, even if it hurts my ego a bit,” he adds. I’m actually used to having nothing from the federation. Some years, I even had to pay my coach. But I wanted to show the way we are treated because the exit was shocking. Fabien Bertrand even told my coach that if I wanted to change that, I had to pay him personally. Which is absurd. After without a coach, I can do it. I just need a pair of skis and then I have my determination. I repeat: this episode is like all these years. This is the icing on the cake. »
Seriously injured after a fall in La Plagne in early May 2019 during a quarter-pipe world record attempt, the native of Bourg-St-Maurice had suffered multiple fractures (pelvis and ribs), which caused perforation of the lungs, and head trauma with hemorrhage. His coma had lasted three days and he was quickly back on his skis: “I like the pipe, I feel in good shape at the moment. When I look at the competitions of the last few months, I think I still have the ability to compete. I’m not saying that I’m going to be world champion but I think I can manage by being at the level of certain headliners if everything goes as planned of course. So I’m not going to do figuration. »
