It is undoubtedly the strongest symbol since the merger of the Ministries of National Education and Sports in the summer of 2020.

Olivier Girault, 48 years old and former member of the "Costauds" who won Olympic gold at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, former boss of the National Handball League (2018-2020), is now the president of the main federation of school sport which brings together nearly 800,000 licensees and which works in the secondary sector.

This is a first for this institution, whose position of national director has usually been devolved, since the 1970s, to officials of the National Education, rectors, general inspectors or heads of establishments.

"It's a break. This is the first time that such a profile has taken the head of the UNSS. We are really in the image two years of the Olympics in Paris", is astonished a former executive of UNSS.

This appointment indeed comes a few months after a mutual misunderstanding between the Minister of National Education and some high-level athletes after the Tokyo Olympics.

Jean-Michel Blanquer had indeed split a tweet in which he welcomed the role of EPS (physical and sports education, editor's note) in the success of team sports in the land of the rising sun (3 gold, 1 silver , 1 bronze).

"Counterweight"

The basketball player Evan Fournier, Olympic vice-champion in Tokyo, was the first to open fire by speaking about a "disastrous sports culture at school (...)", before being followed by others like the decathlete Kevin Mayer who had regretted the absence of "the culture of winning at school"

The misunderstanding had subsided somewhat since.

But the decision of Jean-Michel Blanquer cannot be read without this context.

“Clearly, this is an appointment that comes in counterbalance to its release this summer, a little clumsy on the high level,” analyzes a source close to sports authorities.

The Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Jean-Michel Blanquer on the steps of the Elysee Palace in Paris on December 22, 2021. Ludovic MARIN AFP

A few days before the minister's decision, four former high-level athletes, Astrid Guyart, Frédéric Michalak, Malia Metella and Yannick Nyanga had also pleaded for such a nomination, assuring in substance that it would create a necessary shock two and a half years from the Olympics .

Their message may have been heard ...

In any case, this cultural revolution in the small world of school sport does not really work for everyone.

"The problem is that these are two different things, high level and school sport. The UNSS does not have as a primary vocation to train champions", qualifies a source close to the sports mysteries.

"Difficult to understand"

"We are quite angry", slice him frankly Benoit Hubert, national secretary secretary of Snep-Fsu (union of teachers of PE).

"Not on the person, who has nothing to do with it, but on the way. There is still a Board of Directors of the UNSS who spoke and Olivier Girault, after the hearings of the candidates, had arrived in fourth position out of four ".

A decision assumed by the ministry.

"The board of directors of the UNSS is made up of 100% of the world of education. It is not abnormal that it is positioned like that", one analyzes in the entourage of the minister.

"This is part of the desire to regroup the Ministry of National Education and Sports. It corresponds to the state of mind of the minister, that of openness", adds one in the ministerial entourage.

An opening which for the moment is puzzling on the side of school sport.

"This is frankly not good news for the UNSS," said a member of National Education, a specialist in school sport.

"It is difficult to understand", adds Benoit Hubert, "the teachers of PE are not delighted and they are not the only ones".

© 2021 AFP