In the Collet family, I would like Thibaut, who recently became the third best French performer in history in the pole vault, when he seized the “home record” with 5.95 m, one centimeter taller than his father Philippe, who became his trainer.
At the beginning of the story, there is the grandfather, Jacques, 84 years old in 2024. There is also the father, Philippe, the double Olympic finalist pole vaulter who became the coach of his two sons, and the brother, Mathieu, four years older than Thibaut (25 years old).
“My parents taught me to walk, my grandfather taught me to pole vault,” Thibaut Collet, who was competing in qualifying at the Stade de France on Saturday morning, told AFP. “It’s thanks to him that I’m where I am today. He’s the one who started it all, who got me to try pole vaulting first.”
French pole vaulter Thibaut Collet during the European Championships, June 12, 2024 in Rome / Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP/Archives
“My first memory of pole vaulting was in my grandfather’s garden,” recalls his brother Mathieu. “We had put two javelins, an old carpet and a line, 1.80 m away. I must have been five or six years old.”
“In the garden, there was a piece of carpet and a piece of pole cut off,” describes the younger son. “When you’re little, you don’t need to have real poles. He taught us the gesture a little, he threw us on the carpet, and then after, at four, five years old I played with the pole, I climbed on the carpet, it started like that.”
Grandfather “well of knowledge”
“We always had contact with the pole, the vision of the movement and an interest during the Olympic Games, the World Championships on TV. We watched, but we played football”the elder continues.
“Grandpa is a fountain of knowledge,” he smiles. “He has coached a lot in his life, almost since he was 20. He has an exceptional amount of experience.”
French pole vaulter Thibaut Collet and Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in the background, during a photo shoot for AFP, June 3, 2024 / Joël SAGET / AFP/Archives
Some twenty years later, Thibaut Collet makes it his duty to ensure that his grandfather, still club president in Oyonnax (Ain) two years ago, has his place in the stands of the Stade de France. “I try to involve him as much as possible, I send him training videos, I send him lots of things, we talk a lot. He’s got his mind and physically, he’s all in.”the grandson, who came to athletics for good at around twelve years old, says with emotion.
“I started by trying a bit of everything I wanted to try, but I knew very well that my dream was the pole vault. And that was where I was most comfortable. When I started to progress, I naturally moved towards pole vaulting. It was a natural progression.”he recalls.
“It’s not because my father was a pole vaulter that I was a pole vaulter, but it was natural.”he continues.
« Monomaniaque »
Himself trained by his father Jacques during his career, Philippe Collet (60 years old), double Olympic finalist (5th in 1988 and 7th in 1992) and European bronze medallist in 1986, having climbed to 5.94 m in 1990, then reproduced the family pattern by becoming the coach of his two sons.
At the Collet house, it’s going to be a busy time morning, noon and night.
“My father and I were really into it. As soon as we saw a video, we said to ourselves, ‘Look what he did.’ It’s true that there were times when we talked about nothing else. It was monomaniacal.”from the stadium to the family table, remembers Thibaut Collet.
“My mother couldn’t take it anymore. My father didn’t realize it because it was his passion.”he continues.
“There were times when we weren’t allowed to talk about perch at the table anymore, because it took up all the space,” says his brother. “We’re all a bit temperamental in the family. My grandfather played a catalyst role, as did my mother. They were there to calm things down sometimes.”
“My grandfather carried the Olympic flame in 2012 (before the London Games), I will represent France at the Paris Games: the family story is beautiful, appreciates Thibaut Collet, fourth best performer of the year before the Olympics. I hope to come back with a medal and be able to put it at his house.”
