"Paris before Paris"

Able-bodied and para athletes came together to participate in the first Grand Prix de France. A good thing for para-taekwondo?

It's clear, we are progressing! Until last season, we only had a few annual tournaments in addition to the international competitions. Now, not only is the calendar expanding with three new annual events held in Sofia, Levallois and Manchester, but the "Grand Prix" designation gives them a G6 grade, a higher value than other tournaments that motivates fighters. We have already seen this in Sofia, where the majority of the best athletes in the world answered the call. In addition to having the merit of placing para-taekwondo in a dynamic of insertion, the addition of Grand Prix to our calendar is really a sign of prestige and recognition for our discipline. Unlike the first Grand Prix where able-bodied and para athletes fought a thousand kilometers apart (the able-bodied Grand Prix was held in Rome while the para event was held in Sofia, editor's note), France will be the first Grand Prix to bring together able-bodied and para athletes. The first ones will fight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and we will follow them on Monday, which will allow us to benefit from their momentum.

How did you prepare the French team before this event?

Since our return from Sofia in early June, we have not taken a break. The whole team took this tournament to heart and spent July and August preparing. We played an intermediate competition, then the programs were customized in July: rest and training in France for Bopha Kong; Djelika Diallo and I went to Mexico for ten days of training alongside Mexican and English para-taekwondoists. At her young age, she played along and it turned out to be a great opportunity for her to learn and compete against, among others, the Olympic vice-champion. Zakia Khudadadi should also have been part of the trip but visa problems prevented her from doing so. However, she really validates her integration to the pole and reaps the fruits of her work, both in competition and during the last month of collective training at the INSEP. We have now entered the last phase of intensive training before what I like to call "the big show into the unknown". (smile)

Two years before the Olympic Games, what are your ambitions for this "Paris before Paris"?

Three months ago in Bulgaria, we won a gold medal and two bronze. For this Grand Prix, our ambitions for medals and podiums are therefore legitimate. We start with a lot of hopes and three athletes used to podiums! However, as taekwondo is a combat sport where run-offs are relatively frequent, our trio of athletes remains focused on the task and we try not to add pressure to pressure, especially towards our youngsters. We will be able to measure the progress made over the last quarter as the best athletes in each category will be present. However, para-taekwondo is evolving rapidly, and a surprise like Djelika was three months ago is far from excluded... my job will also be to be attentive and to know this opponent profile. It is certain that less than seven hundred days before the Paris Games, the importance of the event will be different. We hope to see the maximum of schools and young people from hospitals in the stands because this is how vocations are created! It's a hard sport, but above all a beautiful one... and even though we will have at least five places available for Paris, the team is currently composed of only three athletes. If along the way we come across someone exceptional with real Paralympic potential, the door may open!

Interview conducted by Maël Jeanthon / Sen No Sen