Paris (AFP)
Mined by poor results at the Doha Worlds and several doping cases, the French Athletics Federation (FFA) announced Monday the appointment of former cyclist Florian Rousseau as "Director of High Performance", with first goal success at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
"In order to calmly approach the Tokyo Games while preparing for future sports events, the Federation has chosen to take a fresh look at high performance by recruiting Florian Rousseau to the newly created position of Director. the very high performance, directly attached to the general organization of the Federation, "notes the FFA in a statement.
"On October 8, I contacted the Minister of Sports and the high-performance mission led by Claude Onesta to propose to him to prepare Tokyo, told AFP the president of the FFA André Giraud. what had not worked in Doha This reorganization is done within the framework of the new governance of the French sport (with the new agency of the sport) and also to have medals in Paris in 2024 ".
Three-time Olympic champion in track cycling, Florian Rousseau (45) will be placed in hierarchical hierarchy of the trio hitherto charged with high performance: Mehdi Baala, Laurence Bily and Romain Barras. He must work "in close collaboration" with the national technical director (DTN) Patrice Gergès.
"There was never any question of transferring the DTN, assured Mr. Giraud.It is not put away, this project was built in collaboration with Mr. Gergès", which sees his prerogatives reduced management all the best French athletes but increased on anti-doping prevention.
The French Athletics Federation has emerged weakened from World Cups very disappointing in Doha (only two medals, one in bronze, one in silver) where appeared a faulty internal organization, at the heart of a year marked by three cases of doping: the Presumed subtraction from marathon runner Clemence Calvin in March, marathon runner Morhad Amdouni in a report by the German ARD channel in October and the positive control of steepleuse Ophelie Claude-Boxberger revealed three weeks ago.
A new director of the medical department (employee of the federation, which applies the medical policy and follows the team of France) must also be appointed to replace Dr. Jean-Michel Serra, dismissed following the positive control of Ophélie Claude-Boxberger with whom he has a romantic relationship. Waiting for the analysis of the sample B, the athlete assures for his part to have been doped without his knowledge by the companion of his mother, who would have acted out of jealousy.
© 2019 AFP