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Olympic preparation: a long obstacle course
Olympic preparation lasts several years and is extremely demanding for all athletes. Both physical and mental fitness are severely tested. The first blow comes when the coach chooses the representative for a series.
In the event of non-selection, the disappointment often matches expectations, after several years of concentration on a single goal.
One place for many applicants
A multi-medalist at national and international level in IlCA 6, Marie Barrué has been making a name for herself on the circuit for many years. For her second Olympic preparation, she took part in a series of training courses, notably in the Canary Islands, and regattas around the world. But that wasn't enough:
" I had very good results in 2021 and 2022. But in 2023, Louise set the bar very high, and my results suffered as a result. Philippe Mourniac, the director of the French sailing team, called to tell me I hadn't been selected, but I knew before he called that I wouldn't be going to the Olympics.
Even if I had suspected it, this kind of announcement is still very hard to take. I put myself on hold for ten days to get over it
Bouncing back to support her teammate
Despite the disappointment, we had to react like professional athletes.
" At the time of the selections, Louise and I talked about what we would do if either of us were selected. We agreed to continue our preparation together, whatever the result.
Once the selection was made, in April 2024, Louise and I got together to draw up a training plan for the home stretch. With the pressure off, I threw myself 100% into helping Louise to be at her best for the start of the regattas. Our training plan comprises several phases and different modules on areas for improvement or performance. It's a plan in which I have confidence and in which I put all my energy, because I believe in it wholeheartedly"
A great deal of support and an obvious chemistry between the two athletes
If the support is mainly on the water, it is also on land. During the training sessions in Marseille, the two athletes live together, so as to stay focused H24.
The French team, via coach Pascal Chaullet, was a great help to the pair in these final training phases.
" Pascal and Fabrizio Lazzerini, the Italian coach, were very supportive and really followed us through the campaign. It was comforting to have them by our side.
We also travelled to Lake Garda, where Louise is a regular visitor, to follow a training course on specific themes. I put a lot of pressure on myself to do the best I could with Louise, and to make sure she felt really confident. It's a break in my career as an athlete, in which I have to concentrate on the performance of another athlete "
Marie's other partners also lent their support during the long months of training together. L'Armée des champions, a military unit of the French army which takes in conscripts from the sporting world, has rediscovered the values of sharing and support in this collaboration. As did the Banque Populaire, a long-standing partner of the FFV, and the Coych, the Hyères sailing club to which Marie has always belonged.
For its part, Marçon Yachting provided material support by supplying gleaming ILCAs for these training sessions, where equipment is also pushed to the limit.
And what's the schedule once training is over?
" Naturally, I'll be following the Olympic regattas to the hilt, and supporting our great team. After the Games, the next event is the World Championships, which will take place in China in May 2025. After that, I'll start Olympic preparation again, my third, with a view to qualifying for the Los Angeles Games, which will take place in 2028."
