He doesn’t like this phrase which he considers “boat”, assumes his ambitions: “I’m not just looking to win a gold medal in Paris, I would like to write the history of my sport. In Paris, Los Angeles, Australia…”
At 26, Lucas Mazur continues to match actions with his words and hopes to first extend his reign at the Para-Badminton World Championships which begin this Tuesday in Pattaya, and where he hopes to win a 4th global title in simple.
Victim of a stroke at 3 years old
It doesn’t matter that he suffered one of his rare defeats in 2023 in Thailand, during the equivalent of a tennis Masters 1000. And another one, during this same season, and recently, in Japan. “These are booster shots,” insists the young man. But the season remains very good. » Better than that, in truth.
Victim of a stroke at the age of 3, Lucas Mazur has since suffered from a malformation of his right ankle which causes a limp when walking but has never stopped him from dreaming big. Although he played football or rugby as a child, he discovered badminton in UNSS when he was 12 years old and was still searching for his own identity.
He found himself there, racket and shuttlecock in hand. He gave himself without reservation, with all the more desire and application since his parents had experienced the high level before him, in table tennis for his father, in basketball for his mother. Sport as an obvious fact which led him to the summits with this Paralympic title won in Tokyo, accompanied by a second medal, in silver, in mixed doubles with Faustine Noël.
Since then, he has only suffered defeat twice. He, an occasional chess fan but notoriously impatient, learned to adapt to it, to dissect its mechanisms to develop new strategies. “If your game plan was not good, you spit out your defeat and get rid of that bitter taste,” he said without qualms.
“When you are number 1, you are the player to take down and that is not always pleasant to manage”
As the Worlds begin, Lucas Mazur knows he is good. “In great shape,” he believes as this is the last qualifying competition for the Paris Games (August 28-September 8). “Even if I am already well in the lead, this remains the opportunity to go for a fourth world title, as well as a medal in mixed doubles,” he recalls. The issue obviously remains this individual supremacy.
“When you are number 1, you are the player to take down and that is not always pleasant to manage,” he agrees. But it’s also an interesting challenge to take on which forces you to play hard every time because the guy opposite is trying to find the loopholes to make you doubt and eliminate you. » He multiplied the difficulty by playing on a daily basis in a club with able-bodied players, in Chambly.
“I am very happy to be able to use these oppositions in competition, it allows me to test myself with lots of different players,” insists the reservist of this Oise club. Training with able-bodied people on a daily basis is positive for evolving physically, technically and tactically. »
Obviously, the World Championships should be like a justice of the peace to highlight the quality of his daily life, to evaluate these training sessions that he has been lengthening and intensifying for two years. “These Worlds are a very good test to know where I am, to take stock. I hope to win of course, but above all to learn good lessons for Paris…” Whatever happens, he will still be able to correct things and then leave his mark on the Games.
2024-02-20 10:13:08
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