The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are approaching, and with them, the preparation of Olympic athletes is intensifying month by month, to be ready to collect as many medals as possible from July 26 to August 11, 2024. We've chosen to meet a dozen French athletes, who have already qualified or will be trying to qualify during the final months before the competition, to help you discover their passion and their world! This is your chance to find out more about some of the lesser-known disciplines or those recently added to the Olympic program, and to support the athletes who have touched your heart!
For the second interview in this series, we set off to meetAxelle Etienne, who spoke to Sortir à Paris about her sport, BMX, and her hopes and expectations for the Paris 2024 Games. A rider for nearly 17 years, she started at the age of 8 thanks to her big brother, who was already riding before her.
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It's about confrontation, because there are 8 riders on the track. It's a sprint, because the track is 400 meters long, it's very fast, and in a race, we're talking about a 30-second effort. It's all about technique, tactics, speed and power.
If it's exactly like Tokyo, there will be three quarter-finals the day before, and three semi-finals and a final the day after. It's going to be on a points system, and we'll have a better chance of qualifying than in the classics. For me, it's BMX Race, so it's not the tricks that count, not the freestyle - that's another discipline - but the race! And the goal is to go as fast as possible and be first to the finish.
The men in France are ranked first, and we're currently in 7th place among the women. To qualify, you have to go through the World Championships and the World Cup and try to place as high as possible!
They take place in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines! It's my daily training run, so I think it's superb, even if they're going to change it a bit for the Games.
In every country, there are one or two individuals who are very strong, and some where there's more density, but it can really be any country: Australia, Colombia, England, Holland...
First of all, it came sooner than expected because the Tokyo Games were postponed, but otherwise, it's a multi-year preparation. You have to choose the competitions you're going to take part in carefully, so you can arrive as fit as possible!
I got to know the sport through my brother, who was doing it before me, and it was by going to his training sessions and competitions that it came to me! It made me want to ride and challenge myself. I used to do ballet and got fed up with it, so I switched to BMX! Today, it gives me a lot of joy and sensations, like speed, and even stress!
I think it was my brother at first. After that, when I was little, I used to watch all the"elites" from a distance, but there are a lot of people who ride well, both men and women, and I enjoy watching them!
Among the clubs I've trained at in the Paris region, the very first was BC2000, a small club in 77, where I started out. After that, I moved to Colombes, but the track was destroyed and so... I had to change clubs! So I went to Eragny (95), which was a great club where I was able to progress up tocadet level.
I really like the Saint-Quentin track! We also ride quite often on the Voisins-le-Bretonneux track, just next door, which is very technical, so it's great for progressing. It's true that we have a wide variety of tracks in the Paris region, so it's great to change from time to time. After that, for beginners, it's not easy to find one that's technically accessible, with smaller bumps!
Very popular with the younger generation, BMX is an acrobatic and very impressive cycling sport, requiring a great deal of technique, both in its racing and freestyle versions. There are a number of clubs in the Paris region with tracks where you can try out the discipline! [Read more]
You have to dare and try! Sometimes, when people look at us, they think it's easy to be fluid, but it takes a lot of time and practice. Just keep persevering until you reach the level you want!
They used to say that when I was little, but I like the phrase:"hard training, easy race"! Well, races aren't always easy, even when you train hard! (laughs)
Follow me on social networks to keep up with my adventure!
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Where to learn and practice BMX racing in Paris and the Ile-de-France region
La Felicità, Station F's XXL restaurant by Big Mamma
