Cross-country skiing: a first world medal for Quentin Viguier, Annette Coupat, Romain Vaxelaire and Margot Tirloy
On Sunday 9 February, Quentin Viguier, Annette Coupat, Romain Vaxelaire and Margot Tirloy wrote a fine chapter in their careers in the mixed junior relay at the Junior and U23 World Cross-Country Ski Championships in Schilpario (Italy). By winning the silver medal at the end of a crazy final round, the four Tricolores ensured that France did not leave the week in Lombardy empty-handed.
Since the introduction of this mixed event, Les Bleus had never finished on the podium. Nordic Magazine spoke to the four young cross-country skiers about this high-flying performance , which rounded off a week of encouraging individual performances.
Quentin Viguier (first relay)
“Before the race, there’s always a bit of excitement and stress. We’re running a relay and a race at the world championships, so it’s always great. You have to make the most of it. There’s stress because you have to do well for your mates and the whole team.”
“On site, the weather conditions were quite complicated with snow and rain. You couldn’t go wrong with your equipment. The staff did a great job, so we were pretty relaxed. That enabled us to make good progress throughout the race.”
“Before the start, I tried to stay very focused. I didn’t want to get carried away by concentrating on my race and what I know how to do, without looking at what others are doing. We knew that with countries like Norway, things were going to start very quickly. We didn’t want to follow them or we’d explode behind them. The first relay runner has to get the team off to a good start and I was determined to do well.”
“I used to run around like a madman to encourage them on the track”Quentin Viguier at Nordic Magazine
“Once my stint was over, I had time to watch my team-mates finish the race. It was stressful because we were battling with different countries for the podium. I was running around like a madman to encourage them on the track! Once things settled down at the end, we felt a bit more confident about the medal. When Finland broke down, we were sure we’d at least be in the top 3. “
“This medal is a great reward not only for us, who ran the relay, but also for the whole team and staff, who worked so hard throughout the week. As for the four relay runners, we spent all the preparation time together in the Federation’s junior group. We shared quite a few sessions, so to find ourselves on the podium of this relay was something very nice. It’s a great way to end these World Championships. We’re going home satisfied and I’m looking forward to the second half of the season with confidence and motivation.”
Annette Coupat (second relay)
“It was a really incredible relay! It was a real thrill as it went on. I was second in the classic section after Quentin [Viguier, editor’s note] had handed over the baton. At that point, there was a bit of a gap with the other nations. We were fourth and the instruction was to close the gap with the teams in front. All this without getting burnt out in the first round.”
“Even if it’s still five kilometres and it seems short, if you burn your wings too early, you pay dearly afterwards. I wanted to manage my effort a bit like an individual by focusing on my effort and going faster and faster. For me, it went pretty well. I tried to close the gap and I think I got the relay to within 5 or 6 seconds of third place.”
“The staff are also rewarded because they did a great job”Annette Coupat at Nordic Magazine
“Romain Vaxelaire and Margot Tirloy finished the relay superbly. It was really incredible to end these World Championships with a medal. It was crazy to win this medal in a relay with the whole team because it gives you incredible emotions. The staff are also rewarded because they did a great job. All week, our skis were really top notch, so it was great. For my first experience of the World Championships, I’ve come away delighted and over-motivated for what’s to come.”
Romain Vaxelaire (third relay)
“I went into the race without any stress. But I wanted to do well. We knew we had a strong team and that we could do well. But to finish second was a really nice surprise. During my warm-up, I saw Quentin [Viguier, editor’s note] who was in the top 5. He was almost in contact with the places in front of him.”
“I knew that Annette [Coupat, editor’s note] was going to do well and that she was going to open up a gap on the teams behind her. A lot of the work was done at that point. All I had to do was not lose any time on the podium teams and pass the baton to Margot [Tirloy, editor’s note] in good conditions so that she could catch up and even distance the Finn.”
“It makes you want to have more”Romain Vaxelaire at Nordic Magazine
“When she succeeded in depositing it, we knew it was done. We knew we had the medal. It was a great battle. We all had a good race and that gives us a great result in the end. It’s my first medal in a major championship. It makes you want more. Of course, whether it’s an individual or a relay, because relays are always better!”
“This medal also goes to the whole team. They did a fantastic job on the skis all week. For all the races, especially the relays, we had really good skis. That’s what enabled us to achieve this great result.”
Margot Tirloy (fourth and last runner-up)
“I was the last relay runner and I was responsible for the finish. It was a real honour to have this place in this relay. Frankly, it was also very important to me because we’ve got a great team and we’re all very close. And I think this medal really represents this group cohesion.”
“For my part, Romain [Vaxelaire, editor’s note] gave me the relay in fourth position just behind Finland and 15 seconds behind Italy who were second. I had planned to start fast. By the end of the first lap, I had to be in the Finnish and Italian skis. In the end, I managed to catch up quickly. I stayed on their skis and as the Italian was leading, I think that cost her a bit.”
“On the second lap, at the top of the climb, she let me pass, so I took my turn. And on this big climb, those who weren’t running this relay were telling me that she was cracking. When I turned round, I saw that this was the case and I decided to attack straight away. It paid off! I crossed the line in second place and it was just incredible.”
“I’m so proud of the whole team”Margot Tirloy at Nordic Magazine
” I’m so proud of the whole team. It’s also thanks to the staff that we were able to win this medal. It was a very emotional moment. We didn’t necessarily have the best team on paper, but we showed that if you stick together, you can really achieve great things. It’s so cool to have been able to experience that with our mates.”
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