A neurologist by profession, the French skateboarder is trying to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Near the Palais de Beaulieu in Lausanne, the Segment Festival brought together the world’s best skateboarders. From September 15 to 17, Switzerland emphasized urban culture. In addition to concerts by Nina Kraviz, Jazzy Bazz and Petit Biscuit, this qualifier for the 2024 Olympic Skateboarding World Tour allowed athletes to earn points to climb the world rankings. At the end of this long selection process, which began in June 2022, twenty-two athletes will be selected for the Olympic Games. Charlotte Haim is a Parisian, neuroscience researcher and physician. The 30-year-old is also bidding to represent France at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Madame Figaro . – How did you start skateboarding?
Charlotte Hym. – I was 13 when I asked for a board for my birthday. I grew up in Paris, which is a city where skateboarding is very present. It is an activity that suits me very well, I like to be constantly on the move. My friends and I would do tricks after school and I would always skate with them on the street. When I started competing in 2017, I had to go to the skatepark to train, which was not my habit. I’m lucky enough to have a skate shop that sponsors me, Snowbeach, which I used to go to when I was younger; I stayed true to the family they represent to me. The Olympics also allowed me to have sponsors outside of this environment, to expand my circle. Being a high-level athlete also allows me to help the department, the Ile-de-France region…
You were a researcher, how would you explain this? “the big gap» in your career?
I did my thesis in cognitive neuroscience, which I finished just before the Tokyo Games, and then worked as a researcher at the Paris Descartes laboratory. I was working on the motor skills of infants. Now I’m starting something radically different. I will be working with the French Roller and Skateboard Federation, becoming their national technical advisor. Last year, I passed a competitive exam from the Ministry of Sports to work in sports federations. My new project is really to work with skateboarding, to advance the discipline. I continued my studies doing what I wanted to do at the time it presented itself. I like to take chances.
How to explain that there are so many steps to participate in the Olympic Games?
We participated in the third qualifying competition in Lausanne. It started with Rome in 2022, then Charjat in the United Arab Emirates in January 2023 and finally Rome again last June. There are many steps to be taken before appearing in the list of the best 22 in the world participating in the Olympic Games. During this competition, I was one of the last to qualify for the quarter finals. Unfortunately, I was eliminated in the next round. Even if I lost, this stage still does not doubt my place in the Olympic Games. These are our top 4 results based on roughly two years of competition. You have to fight for the best possible rating every time, which makes all stages important. Skateboarding is such a fuzzy discipline. Let’s say they only organize one competition, unfortunately, the best skateboarder in the world gets injured or misses the race (Editor’s note : verse)… He is dismissed and cannot qualify. This is not what the organization wants for the Olympics, they want to show a very high level. So they give themselves the best chance. At the end, the competition will be more decisive, because it shows what the skater is like at the moment when his skateboard is closest to what he will be at the Olympics, and not “his skateboard” from three years ago.
Do you see the Olympics as the sacrifice of a lifetime or just a great opportunity to take advantage of?
These games are especially important to me because they take place at home in Paris. It is really exciting to think that the games will be held at home. Tokyo, I didn’t experience it in the same way, for example, during the opening ceremony, there were no people in the stands, it was very strange. When we got to the stadium it was empty and I really wanted to see what the energy of the crowd was like.
Women’s skateboarding has evolved a lot in recent years, are you feeling this change? What remains to be done?
There are a lot more girls skating and it shows in the skateparks. This really became popular during the Olympics. We are seeing a lot more young women entering the competition. In the segment festival, for example, the average age is very young, I would say 10 to 15 years old. The youngest skater is a 10-year-old Chinese girl. Most are under 16 years old. It is a sport that is now dominated by young people, as there are more and more children who want to skateboard, girls or boys. I find that very positive and I like the idea of leading by example. A young lady emailed me to meet up and I enjoyed motivating her and giving her advice in hopes that she would continue skating for a long time.
I am learning numbers today, which are learned at the age of 12, in principle, it is not the same.
Charlotte Hym
Without the Olympics, women’s skateboarding would still be a secret. The girls will participate in three competitions that no one has heard of. Now the young people who are arriving have entered the competition. Although I have strong nerves, I am 30 years old and my body does not take the blows in the same way. I am learning numbers today, which are learned at the age of 12, in principle, it is not the same. Indeed, there is a difference in level: one before Tokyo and one after.
Do you think women’s skateboarding is at a disadvantage compared to men’s skateboarding?
There are a few traditional pageants that still don’t have a “girls” category, but that’s pretty obscure. The Olympics also made it possible to achieve equal financial rewards more quickly. This is the case for all official events, but we should also welcome smaller competitions that set an example. I think of the Metz Ride Fest, which sends a strong signal and encourages female skaters not to come for nothing. In my eyes, it is impossible to make a radical transition, it can only be done slowly. It is better to encourage the efforts being made than to complain when things are going in the right direction. Today there are more girls sponsored by skate brands for example.
A new generation of skaters
How are you physically preparing for the Olympics?
After those in Tokyo, I started physical training. Which was impossible to do before, during my thesis. Basically, avoiding injuries during falls is what we can call “injury prevention”, prophylaxis.
What is the profile of other competitors?
I compete with little athletes who are like gymnasts. They do a lot of stunts that they learned at skateparks, and some that I learned when I was 27, just for competitions. It’s easier to learn and automate when you’re 12… I’m old school, learned on the street with no performance goals. They are more strategic. If I qualify, that’s already a victory in itself, my ultimate goal is to succeed in my races (Editor’s Note: verses) and be proud of it. In Tokyo, I did not accept it physically. I was very tired on the day of the competition. I wasn’t skating very well. I want to give everything in Paris, to succeed.
Source: Le Figaro
