INTERVIEW – At the age of 27, he won the first French Olympic triathlon medal. Meet a champion with a mind of steel.
No one has forgotten these images. At the end of a thrilling race between swimming, cycling and running in the Seine, Cassandre Beaugrand crossed the finish line to cheers from the crowd and the disabled as a backdrop. The 27-year-old athlete stood out in the final stage of the competition on Wednesday, July 31, ahead of her competitors with explosive acceleration. Before winning the first French Olympic medal in this category.
A feat the enormity of which he is still trying to grasp when we meet him at the Oakley Bunker on the Place de la Bourse on Tuesday 6 August. Finishing fourth in the medley triathlon relay she competed in yesterday with teammates Emma Lombardi, Léo Berger and Pierre Le Coret, Cassandre Beaugrand is confident about the pitfalls she faces in the event. And the champion of causing a pell-mell at the microphone Madame Figarohis female model, the exploits of Léon Marchand and his desire to transfer.
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Ball child
Madame Figaro. – How did your passion for triathlon begin?
Cassandre Bogran. – He was born when I was quite young. I was a good swimmer and above all a good runner. I have been involved in sports since childhood. My father was a sports coach and my mother was involved in sports. I’ve always liked it. I later added cycling to my skills, although I had more trouble there.
It was incredible to be pushed like that by the French public. I had the chills and I guess you only get that once
Cassandre Bogra
What does it mean for you to participate in the Paris Olympics?
It was just incredible. I felt a lot of pressure because I obviously wanted to get the best performance in front of the crowd on race day. I had a stressful few months beforehand. In the end, I felt a great relief when I won my medal.
You won the Olympic gold medal, the first in French triathlon history…
It was a great source of pride. I’m having a hard time realizing it, but I think it will come later. To be pushed like that by the French public all along was incredible. I had chills and I think you only experience that once in your life.
Effervescence and flexibility
What is your advice for managing stress during these events?
Being stressed by nature is difficult for me. I use breathing techniques and often try to focus on the present moment.
How did you feel about the celebrations and excitement that followed your victory, particularly at the French Club?
I am quite a reserved person. So it was even harder than the race. I don’t necessarily like being exposed like that, but it warmed my heart to see so many people so happy to be there. After all, I enjoyed my moment.
In triathlon, you always have to adapt to weather conditions and last-minute program changes.
Cassandre Bogra
Who are your biggest day-to-day supporters?
There are so many people around me who have allowed me to achieve this performance and who are always there to support me when I succeed and when I fail.
Regarding your fourth place finish in the medley relay on Monday, August 5, you stated: How do you deal with potential disappointments you may encounter during your competitions?
For this race we knew we were extreme favourites. But we told ourselves that so many things can happen that we cannot control everything. In triathlon, you always have to adapt to weather conditions and last-minute program changes. When we saw that things were not necessarily going well and that early in the race was this fall (it to Pierre Le Coret, editor’s note), I told myself that we should believe it, because many things could still happen. There were several torchbearers, there could be failures. In my head I kept telling myself that we could do it anyway and that we would figure it out in the end.
Collective support
What events would you not miss during these Olympics?
I follow a little bit of all sports. When I was younger, I watched a lot of swimming and track and field, so I’m excited to go watch track and field events this week. But it’s also nice to be exposed to other subjects that I know less about.
What feats of other athletes stood out to you the most during these Games?
Last week everyone was able to spot the exploits of Leon Marchand (Laughter). It’s incredible what he did, he brought many gold medals for France.
Tokyo Olympics
How would you describe the atmosphere in the Paris Olympic Village?
I haven’t been there yet because I wanted to be in a bubble more and slept in a hotel. But I’m thinking of spending it this week. I saw the Olympic Village for the Tokyo Olympics and I can’t wait to go see it in Paris.
We didn’t necessarily have an audience in Tokyo because of Covid which had a big impact on our race
Cassandre Bogra
How did you feel about these Tokyo Olympics?
It was completely different, not the same atmosphere at all. They were incomparable to those we live in now. In Tokyo in 2021, we didn’t necessarily have an audience because of Covid, which had a big impact on our race. During the Paris Olympics, emotions are multiplied tenfold because we share them with our audience.
Inspirational women
Which women inspire you every day?
I think of my coach in Montpellier, Stephanie Gross. I trained with him for 7 years. She played the role of a second mother to me since I arrived in this city quite young. I was struggling to get my bearings and he took care of me all these years.
Do you think these games will give greater visibility to women’s sports?
They will allow women to realize that they are also capable of winning medals. I myself am inspired by other sportswomen during these games. I hope it will encourage young women and little girls to take up sports, particularly triathlon.
Source: Le Figaro
