© DR – Méril Loquette, licensed at the Cergy badminton club, will defend the colors of France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
“There was no medal but Paris 2024 is close. Know that I’m going to fight to get this damn medal.”. Three years ago, the champion of para-badminton French, Méril Loquette, left the Tokyo 2021 Japanese Paralympic Games in failure, and made this promise to his coach. Since then, the athlete Badminton Club Les Volants de Cergy (Val-d’Oise) did not give up, continuing to surpass himself as he suggested to today reach 4th place in the world in his SU5 category, which brings together standing players with a handicap affecting an upper limb.
This Tuesday, April 23, the native of Andrézy (Yvelines) learned, delighted, of his official selection for the JOP de Paris 2024. “The qualification was so much harder than the one in Tokyo, despite the fact that I have a better ranking and that I do not go through the commission (Selection). The adventure does not stop, it continues“, he rejoiced on social networks. At 27, he will therefore approach his second Olympics in the shoes of an outsider determined to play spoilsport. For him, the test will take place at the Arena chapel door in Paris (18th) between August 29 and September 2.
Eight times French champion and double European champion 2023
Born without a right handMéril Loquette practiced judo for a long time before discovering badminton. “From kindergarten to college, this disability was a source of mockery and harassment from other students but also from teachers. Fortunately, I started judo at 3 years old and I was good. I did boxing too. It allowed me to have confidence in myself but above all to defend myself“, he said recently in the media Le Monde des Ados. At 19, he discovered para-badminton and progressed quickly. He joined the French team, becoming 8 times French champion and double European champion in 2023 (singles and doubles).
Méril Loquette travels the world to practice his sport, taking part in Open tournaments and other competitions in Peru, Spain, Thailand, Japan… He also goes to Indonesia every year to follow intensive courses where the transcendence is appropriate. “My concept of winning must go through hours of suffering in training“, he admits on social networks. Outside of sport, the adopted Cergyssois recently tried his hand at comedy, playing a small role in the series Vestiaires, broadcast on France 2. At the JOP in Paris, the para-badista will certainly dream of playing a bigger role .
2024-04-30 10:02:13
#Méril #Loquette #parabadist #Cergy #hopes #good #role
