Cross-country skiing: a winter below expectations for Richard Jouve
This winter, and for the first time since 2018, Richard Jouve will not have finished on an individual podium in one of the cross-country skiing World Cup sprints. Despite two top 3 finishes in the sprint team alongside Jules Chappaz in Cogne (Italy) and Lahti (Finland), the Frenchman did not enjoy the same success as in previous seasons.
Despite finishing fourth on two occasions, the 30-year-old cross-country skier often seemed to be chasing his best form as the weeks went by. Hampered by back pain, the Haut-Alpin has not been spared from injury since his summer preparations.
“This season is symptomatic in terms of results. He was in great form at the Worlds, but for the last two editions we’ve had very soft conditions, and Richard still has trouble with this kind of weather,” lamented Thibaut Chêne to Nordic Magazine. It’s hard to anticipate, it makes you tense and you know it’s going to be complicated, especially when skating.
And while he could legitimately have set his sights on a medal with compatriot Jules Chappaz in the team sprint in Trondheim (Norway), the skier from Méribel (Savoie) saw his last hopes dashed in the final round of this event: “So there’s disappointment for the individual but also for the team sprint where they were very strong with Jules Chappaz. It‘ s just that they weren’t in the right frame of mind to go out and perform, and that can happen,” added his coach.
“ It’s been a complicated year because the preparation has been complicated too “Thibaut Chêne at Nordic Magazine
“It’s been a complicated year because the preparation has been complicated too. He didn’t train properly until October. He was injured a lot and had a foot operation,” explains the French coach. His comeback took a long time and it was difficult to find a certain consistency on a permanent basis.
It was a disappointing season overall for Richard Jouve, who will no doubt be keen to raise his game again in the coming Olympic year. “It wasn’t the season we wanted to have with Richard. That’s not how he trains and I don’t think it reflects his level,” says Thibaut Chêne. Now it’s up to us to keep working and see how we can raise our game. We’re a bit disappointed and that’s not why he’s training. He’s here to perform and he was very disappointed with his winter.
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