Par Lucie Rochette–Montalieu
Published on 10 Feb 24 at 8:12 See my news Follow Le Réveil de Neufchâtel
In July 2024, Nadine Mayeux-Labbé, resident of Ellecourt (Seine-Maritime), will be dressed in the white and gold outfit of the Olympic flame bearers.
And for good reason, on January 15, the former sportswoman received a very special email from the organization of the Olympic Games. “When one of my former students asked me to enroll, I was very surprised. Why would he want me, given my age? They will take the youngest,” Nadine said to herself at the time.
Eight times French champion
Nadine was selected to hold the Olympic flame. “A certain pride, recognition” for the athlete, since before being a university professor in the Staps sector (sciences and techniques of physical and sporting activities) in Amiens, she had a very rich career: double world archery champion (in 1990 and 1992), three-time European champion, eight-time French champion, “including seven consecutive titles”, the archer remembers very well.
She also won a gold medal at the 1989 World Games in Karlsruhe (Germany), a multi-sport event considered the precursor to the Olympic Games. “Archery is an Olympic discipline, but field shooting is not,” she explains.
Field shooting is his specialty. This sport in which she excelled throughout her career.
It looks a little like a golf course, but much rougher. Targets can be 5 and 60 m away. There could be some pretty steep slopes.
Nadine Mayeux-Labbé
The one who was in the French team for 14 years first discovered this discipline within her lifelong club, in Villers-Bretonneux, in the Somme, “the stronghold of archery” according to her.
After trying indoor shooting, the sportswoman “immediately adopted” field shooting. “It combined address and research. And at the same time, it was necessary to calculate the number of arrows. » She also explains that the location of certain targets was not known to the competitors. In total, 72 arrows are shot in a competition.
Videos: currently on News During her career, Nadine asked to have her photo taken when she shot to study her posture in order to improve it. ©Personal archives
Archery at Calot Hospital
It was in 1992, at the age of 48, that Nadine retired. “I announced it, I had just received my second world champion title. I knew it was time. » Having chosen her moment to leave, she has no regrets today.
“My goal was to make room in the French team for a younger teammate, so that she could try the next world championships. I knew she was ready, and I was right because she was world champion, and at home,” says the former sportswoman, always proud of her protégé.
After his retirement, archery did not leave his life. In addition to her duties as technical advisor for Youth and Sport, she spent time at the Calot hospital in Berck to help children who were unable to breathe. Because thanks to her various body placement training courses during her sporting career, she was able to allow young sick people to increase the respiratory capacity of their lungs.
The practice of archery made this rehabilitation fun, in addition to the physiotherapy sessions. For one of the small patients, his capacity increased from 25 to 50% in two years.
For the moment, no details have been revealed to Nadine regarding the location of her relay. In the meantime, for the past two weeks, she has been “going back to walk a little bit every day to train,” says the septuagenarian with a smile.
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2024-02-10 07:12:01
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