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The next Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 are coming soon. Benjamin Auffret who finished at the foot of the podium in Rio in 2016 is determined to avoid this time the " chocolate medal " in Japan next summer.
In Olympic disciplines where money is sorely lacking, as for many athletes, passion takes precedence over everything else. Benjamin Auffret, best specialist in French diving, is no exception to the rule. Every day, he gets up with one idea in mind, getting Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2020.
The former gymnast finished at the foot of the podium at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Brazil. Since then, this acrobat is determined to take revenge in Japan. So every morning he gets up with that ultimate goal in his head. From the top of his platform, ten meters from the pool, he dreams of this gold medal, a performance that could be historic for France. Benjamin Auffret is far from having the fear of emptiness. However, it takes a good dose of pure courage to start from so high and reach more than 60 km / h in the water.
Diving gymnastics
" I was pushed right from the start to get into this discipline after gymnastics. I felt good and I was happy to learn new things, "enthuses the young man at the small size and no longer wants a" chocolate medal ". Benjamin Auffret made repeated injuries due to a growth spurt and could not continue his career as a gymnast. He had the choice between stopping the high-level or attempting the adventure of diving. A discipline unknown to the general public.
To claim the Grail in Tokyo, one of the essential things is not to splash as the body enters the water. " It matters a lot, because this is the last impression that the judge keeps in mind, " said this 24-year-old athlete with a strong character. For the rest, it is necessary to present dives (six in total) with a single passage for each direction of mandatory rotations. The aesthetic criteria, for example the tense feet, also count enormously.
" A bit like the circus, you have to give the impression that it's easy and that you could have done more. This is obviously never the case, "said Benjamin Auffret who will face Chinese opponents, mostly above the lot. Or Americans, Mexicans or Russians who " trust the podiums ". It is necessary to have strength, speed to be one of the best divers on the planet. The coordination of the body and the landmark in space is a work of every moment to hope to pull out of the game.
" Staying at the foot of the podium destroyed me for a moment "
Benjamin Auffret trains between 20 and 25 hours a week. " It is necessary to constantly repeat the movements, there is only one attempt to succeed ", advance this perfectionist, triple champion of France (2014, 2015, 2017), and champion of Europe (2017).
" The Games are done. If I go back, it's for gold. Staying at the foot of the podium destroyed me for a while and then I found "the nymph" for a new challenge. I hope that the day will be a day with. I want to relive the Olympic battle. The Games is the showcase of my sport. When I watch a video about the medal-winning athletes in Rio, I cry every time, "admits Benjamin Auffret. He can count on the support of his family: " We need benchmarks not to " fart the lead ". It's a bit like the role of my loved ones. They know me and understand my lifestyle . "
Benjamin Auffret is a jack of all trades. At the edge of the pools, he also excels with his camera. After Tokyo 2020, - Paris 2024 seems too far away - he wants to be a fighter pilot, " a kid's dream ". A life always in the air!