A champion would be a tightrope walker, life on a tightrope and destiny on the seesaw. Years to prepare for a day or perhaps a night, so many hours and sweat to sculpt a body, a heart. So much suffering to build confidence, build performance. Do everything to be strong, so strong. And knowing oneself, however, always so fragile at the moment of launching, of diving… An astonishing paradox. Mystery of performance. Impenetrable alchemy.
So, today, when returning to the first of her three Olympic titles, the 400m in Barcelona in 1992, to tell the story behind it, Marie-Jo Pérec does not mention her talent, her legendary stride, the The merciless rigor of Jacques Piasenta’s training, or the last words of his coach before entering the arena and fighting.
