At the time of the European championships, which begin this Wednesday, January 12 in Estonia, the tricolor skaters are under no illusions: the hopes of a podium are almost non-existent in the absence of the star couple of ice dance Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, who preferred to ignore the competition so as not to risk contamination with Covid-19 less than a month before the Beijing Olympics.
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This zero point on the medal table reflects the state of hexagonal skating in reconstruction. On the side of Normandy in particular, where however a beautiful story has been told in recent months: that of Bruno Massot, the child of the country who left to gild his reputation in Germany, Olympic champion under the German flag in 2018 at the PyeongChang Games, back today in his club of Caen with a project in phase with the will of federal renovation. The realization of a dream, which took very circuitous paths to come true.
Olympic gold for Germany
First bifurcation in 2014. Bruno Massot flies to Germany, to join the skater with whom he wishes to relaunch, Aljona Savchenko. Leaving his lifelong club, the Caen Sports and Leisure Artistic (Acsel), was not the first idea. With his trainer Jean-François Ballester, Bruno Massot thought rather of bringing his future partner to France. Except that the French Ice Sports Federation is dragging its feet. On the contrary, his German counterpart offers the champion all the facilities to move. “The difference was huge, and I first thought about my career,” says the skater.
Bruno Massot settles across the Rhine. Jean-François Ballester, after twenty years of service in Caen, left to found a high-level training center in Switzerland, while continuing to coach his foal. Four years later, the consecration. It was written ? Not really. “For eighteen months, the French Federation refused to release me, Bruno Massot points out. I was training, but without the possibility of competing. I was living on €200 a month. Inevitably, it was not ideal for skating serenely. When the situation resolved, so there were injuries, nothing was ever easy. So yes, the medal is beautiful, but what sacrifices! »
It doesn’t seem like it in the 4.5 minutes of the couple’s free evolution in PyeongChang. The tandem is weightless, performing tricks and carried to perfection. At the time of the verdict of the judges, it is a torrent of tears. “I was under enormous stress, I skated like a lion, with rage, revived Bruno Massot. Twenty-three years of career being played out there, in a few minutes. Afterwards, everything dropped. »
The return of the child prodigy
Bruno Massot finishes in style, with a world title in stride. Time to put away the skates, to train with Jean-François Ballester in Switzerland. But his mentor died six months later. “All my life, I have never made a decision without his advice, release the champion. I was lost, without landmarks. » The Covid also complicates the situation. So with his wife, Bruno matured the idea of returning home. At the turn of 2021, he calls the president of Acsel in Caen.
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“Bruno’s phone call presenting me with his training center project was timely., says Ludovic Le Guennec. With the Covid, we had lost almost 40% of our young people. We had to start from scratch, on detection. Bruno helped us out of a rather depressive period. » It was still necessary to organize new slots of occupation of the ice rink, to obtain the support of the local authorities, of the federation. But this time, all the planets align. “I arrived in May 2021 on a red carpet, with a federation determined to rebuild by betting on new talents that I want to hatch”, rejoices the gold medalist.
The center already has a dozen students. Bruno Massot is looking to recruit skaters and hopes to eventually have six couples. The structure must ramp up, with a second training track that will have to be built by 2026, evokes the municipality. “In the meantime, we have to adapt and be patient, but we are on the right path,” assures the champion who already sees one of his young couples with staggering progress skating in Milan in 2026. Bruno Massot believes in it. With determination. And also a lot of emotion: “I am in my ice rink, where it all started, and on the edge of the track in place of Jean-François Ballester who would have liked so much to found a center here, in Caen. It’s done. Let’s rise to the occasion. »
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Reduced squad at European Championships
In Tallinn, the blue delegation will consist of three couples, a skater and a skater. But hanging a podium would be a miracle. The last time the Blues posted a blank record at the Euros was in 2014, the first continental competition for the ice dancing tandem Gabriella Papadakis-Guillaume Cizeron. Since then, the duo has always held its rank. The Blues will still count on the two champions at the Beijing Games to win a medal. They will be accompanied by the two skaters Adam Siao Him Fa and Kevin Aymoz, to complete the weakest French delegation in the history of the Games.
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