Paris 2024 Olympic Games: becoming a flag bearer, Mélina Robert-Michon’s dream

French discus thrower Mélina Robert-Michon, on her way to participate in her seventh Olympic Games in Paris, told AFP of her “indescribable desire” to be the standard bearer of the French delegation.

“It would be such a source of pride,” said the 44-year-old athlete who is aiming for gold in Paris, during an interview in Lyon where she trains, emphasizing the “even stronger desire to shine” at home. .

QUESTION: What do the Olympics organized in France mean to you?

ANSWER: “It’s a great opportunity. Having experienced several, to be able to experience this in France, to see the atmosphere and everything that it can bring, it's exceptional. It played a big role in my decision to continue (my career), to push on to Paris. It's also the opportunity to have my family in the stands at the Games, which I've never been able to have. My parents, my brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces. This is the opportunity to introduce them to my world, the one that has guided my life for twenty years. It’s something strong.”

Q: Is it a different pressure at home?

A: “Yes, obviously because there is this even stronger desire to shine in front of those close to you. But we also feel the expectations of the media and the general public. I measure it and I work on it because it must not knock us out on the day of the competition. We must therefore anticipate it. The more it goes on, the more I feel that it is not as usual, like other Olympic years.”

Q: How do you look back on your Olympic journey since your first Games in Sydney in 2000?

A: “If someone had told me that in 2000, never in my life would I have imagined that it was possible and that I would be successful. Because what is most important is not to last for the sake of lasting but to be in the game.”

Q: We are talking about you to be standard bearer of the French delegation, what would that represent?

A: “My desire is indescribable. It would be such a pride to represent all athletes, especially in France for my seventh Games. It wouldn't be an outcome because the most important thing would be the medal but it would be a big thing. It’s great that all athletes can vote.”

Q: What makes the Games different from other championships?

A: “If I only have to keep one medal, it’s that of the Rio Olympics (2nd in 2016). There is this rare side because if you fail, you have to wait four years and that’s huge. It's above everything. It's without comparison. The Olympics are also very public. A medal at international championships is more for those in the know. The size is not at all the same.

Q: Will you continue after the Games and compete in the Worlds in Tokyo in 2025?

A: “Yes. There will be so much pressure in Paris that I don't want to tell myself that this is the end. I also have a very bitter taste of the Tokyo Olympics because it already did not go well (eliminated in the qualifications) and, in relation to the context (the pandemic), I did not have the impression of being games. I want to come back to this stadium and experience a normal competition.”

Q: With such a long career, has it been difficult to balance professional and personal projects?

A: “I didn’t want to let go of either one. It's not sport at all costs and that's what allowed me to perform well. The cuts (linked to her two pregnancies, Editor's note) were beneficial for me, allowed me to take a step back and ask myself the right questions (...). I started talking more about it (about motherhood) and my goal is not that all women can have a child in their career, but that they can say to themselves that they have the choice and that we can come back at high level. Fortunately, the mentality has evolved and I noticed it between my two pregnancies.

Comments collected by François-Jean TIXIER

SEE ALSO - Behind the scenes of the Blues' victory against Chile (3-2)