Cross-country skiing: rising form for Rémi Bourdin ahead of the world championships
On Thursday 27 February, in Trondheim (Norway), Rémi Bourdin will be at the start of the sprint skate qualifier for the world cross-country skiing championships. It will be his very first appearance in the senior category. A regular at the junior and U23 world championships in recent years, this Doubiste racer is about to enter the big leagues.
Having made his World Cup debut last winter at the Tour de Ski, the 23-year-old continues to climb the ranks with each passing month. After a shaky start to the season, the member of the Frasne Drugeon ski club was once again up there with the best in Falun (Sweden), the latest stop on the circuit: “I’m really pleased with my latest results. In the individual classic, I could even have done a bit better. But it still gives me confidence ahead of the Worlds. Being selected for this event is a big step forward,” he told Nordic Magazine.
“I’m not expected and I’m not the favourite, so I want to make the most of this status”.Rémi Bourdin at Nordic Magazine
In Scandinavia, the man from the Franc-Comtois region will be taking things to a new level. In the land of skiing, he is now preparing to defend his chances in a competition that everyone has been waiting for for several years. Last year, when I started doing the World Cup, I knew that the Worlds were in Trondheim and it’s true that I thought that if all the planets aligned, it would be a good thing to be there,” he says. I thought about it all summer during my preparation. It really is a mythical place.
Inspired by the Granåsen stadium track, which he has already spotted during the French team’s summer training camps at the Toppidrettsveka races and which he describes as “very physical”, Rémi Bourdin is under no pressure whatsoever. His first appearance at this fortnight’s world championships will above all allow him to play the way he knows how.
“I’m not expected and I’m not a favourite, so I want to take advantage of this status to try something, particularly in the sprint. There are some really good results to be had and things can turn around very quickly,” he says. I’m not closing any doors. I’m really looking forward to it. I want to gain experience, make the most of it and try to do something great.
To the point where he might consider taking part in the much-anticipated men’s relay? The Haut-Doubiste doesn’t want to think about that just yet. “It will depend on how fit the troops are. But if it can be done, it would be just enormous. We’ll see when we get there but, in any case, I’m not putting any pressure at all and it’s a team performance,” he says. So if someone is better, I’ll respect the choice and I hope the team medals with a great race.
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