Disappointed. The French were hoping for more in the sprint at the World Championships in Trondheim (Norway). They had set their sights on this date, “especially Lucas [Chanavat], who specialises in sprint skateboarding and who could really look forward to this race with the ambition of going for a medal”, admits Alexandre Rousselet, the head of the French team. But Les Bleus were up against two extraterrestrials, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo and Federico Pellegrino.
But the results were not all bad. In the final, Le Bornandin and Jules Chappaz battled it out for a place on the podium. No other nation had two representatives. They were a bit above the rest today,” said the Haut-Savoyard, referring to the Norwegian and the Italian. Behind them, I would have liked to have been the third person. But it didn’t come down to much. While Le Cluse admits to being “a little disappointed”, he also wants to retain some satisfaction and motivation: “I need to grow from this and take it with me for the rest of the week”. The programme has only just begun.
We’re going to bounce back and go for more great things at these World Championships, especially with the sprint team,” predicts Alexandre Rousselet. They’re strong and we’re behind them all the way to help them win a medal. With the experience of a first event. You can see that the snow is very tricky, and it’s difficult to get a good position sometimes,” says Richard Jouve, who exited in the semi-final. With my size, which is a bit heavy, I have to stay in the snow a bit. The conditions also changed with the weather: “In the semi-final, there was a lot more tossing and turning than in the quarter-final, and I don’t really like those conditions,” says the sprinter.
Rémi Bourdin also feels he came within a whisker of a better result. A slightly longer track wouldn’t have bothered him, quite the contrary: “It’s a shame that the straight isn’t five metres longer because I was coming back really strong. I’ve already done that in the Engadine. It doesn’t come down to anything and I hope that one day I’ll make it through to the semi-finals.
Mélissa Gal, who was eliminated in the quarters, is feeling the same frustration. ” Over and above the elimination, it’s also the fact that I wasn’t able to play up front, that I felt physically limited”, she analyses. She repeats that she lacked “a bit more fitness, not much”.
All the French players have to do now is look ahead and put all their worries behind them. That’s the case for the Doubiste skier: “I’m going to try and concentrate on what comes next. Above all, I’m in great shape and I feel really good,” says the cross-country skier from the Frasne Drugeon ski club.
Turning the page won’t be so easy for those who had great ambitions for this Thursday’s competition. “Richard, we can see it, he’s got the fight, he’s going to be back on the sprint team. Jules is good. As for Lucas Chanavat, notes Alexandre Rousselet, “it’s going to be about more than just sport. On a human level, we’re all close to each other, so we’re going to have to find the right words to make them smile again.
Read also
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: a tenth world title for Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo, who overtakes Bjoern Dæhlie and closes to within three points of Petter Northug Jr.
- Cross-country skiing | Trondheim: Jules Chappaz within a whisker of bronze in the sprint skate at the Worlds, Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo’s tenth world title
