Cross-country skiing : “Every day, everything was done with the aim of performing well today”, confides Mathis Desloges
On Sunday, Villardien Mathis Desloges made French cross-country skiing history by becoming the first Tricolor to win an individual medal in the distance. In Tesero (Italy), he claimed the title of Olympic runner-up in the skiathlon, just edging out Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo. In a race that he had “ticked off his list”, the 23-year-old cross-country skier succeeded perfectly, rounding off a masterful and accomplished performance with a historic result.
“I’ve been training for this race for months and months. Every day, everything was done with the aim of performing well today. And then it all came together… it’s just crazy. I prepared like crazy. I pushed all the cursors to the maximum. I was there to win a medal. It’s simple: I put everything on the track”, Mathis Desloges told France Télévision.
In the days leading up to the race, however, doubts crept in. “I’ve had a bit of an illness and I’ve had a lot of doubts over the last few days. But today, we had crazy skis and I was in crazy shape. It was a mental game.
Although this was an individual performance, Mathis Desloges never ceased to emphasise the collective dimension of this medal. “I’m not alone on the track. There was the whole staff, the whole French team. This medal belongs to everyone. I’d like to thank my parents and my friends. It really was a crazy day.
In the mixed zone, the new Olympic runner-up didn’t fully realise the significance of his achievement. “Olympic runner-up… I don’t realise it at all. What I do know is that two years ago, to the day, I was U23 world champion [on the mass-start skateboard in Planica, editor’s note]. This 8 February is definitely working for me.
This medal is just the beginning, says the Frenchman: “It’s only the first race. We’ve set the record straight. I hope it will give the others ideas. We’re a French team on the rise, getting stronger every year. There will be sprints, distance, relays… Be there in front of your TV, we’ll be there”, concluded Mathis Desloges.
Read also
- Olympic Games 2026 | Cross-country skiing: 15 minutes before his silver medal, the moment when Mathis Desloges could have lost everything in the skiathlon
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- 2026 Olympic Games | Cross-country skiing: Mathis Desloges wins a splendid silver medal in the skiathlon, a triumph for Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo
- 2026 Olympic Games | Cross-country skiing – “It’s the event I’ve ticked off my list”: Mathis Desloges wants to make a big impact in the Olympic skiathlon
