Diving with the Lebrun brothers in their house in Lansargues, near Montpellier – Libération

In Libé’s eye

Exclusive visit to the home of the table tennis family, whose two boys are French table tennis phenomena in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympics. By photographer David Richard.

published on May 3, 2024 at 2:59 p.m.

Alexis in front of his brother Félix Lebrun in Montpellier, July 18, 2023.

David Richard/Transit for Libération

The rewards gleaned by the Lebrun sons during their short career are so numerous that when they moved to the small village of Lansargues, near Montpellier, the family had to part with certain cups. In their house, there are medals even on the bathroom walls.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

Fifth player in the world, Félix, 17, is passing through Hérault before a big competition in Saudi Arabia. His parents, Stéphane and Dominique, 50 years old, are not stressing about the Olympics, even if the two Lebrun brothers are almost sure to participate. “Three years ago, we were far from imagining such a scenario,” confides their mother.

David Richard/Transit.Libération

Dominique Lebrun is a centerpiece of the “Lebrun team”. For several weeks, this trained teacher has been on leave from National Education to take care of her sons’ careers full-time.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

Alexis Lebrun started acting at the age of 4. His junior a year earlier. Stéphane, their father, was one of the 10 best French players at his time. After playing his first balls at the age of 5, “on a table installed in a garage, like everyone else”.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

The Lebrun brothers play in a discipline crushed by Chinese table tennis players. “It’s the only sport where we see such domination by a single country,” comments Stéphane Lebrun. A Frenchman who ranks fifth in the world – Félix’s current place – is unheard of for twenty-nine years.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

When he is not playing a match on the other side of the planet, Félix still lives with his parents, in Lansargues, a village in Hérault located about thirty minutes from Montpellier. But his sister Margaux, who also works in the “ping”, predicts that he will soon move closer to the gym in which he has been training since he was little. She herself took an apartment near this room, in Montpellier, just like Alexis.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

Table tennis players finalize their ping racket themselves by gluing the plastic part to the wood.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

During confinement in 2020, Alexis and Félix Lebrun followed an intense training and bodybuilding program at home. Seven hours a day. For their father, something was triggered there, of the order of fierce will: for his sons it was no longer a question of “doing well”, but of excelling.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

If Alexis uses a so-called “orthodox” playing technique, Félix began very early on to hold his racket “in a pen holder”, in other words as if he were holding a pen, which allows greater amplitude to the wrist.

David Richard /Transit.Libération

One of the two rackets offered to the Lebrun brothers by the contemporary artist Franck Célaire, who also has his workshop near Montpellier.

David Richard /Transit.Libération