+ Chamonix 1962

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Guy Périllat (slalom silver, also downhill silver in 1968):

Guy Perillat on the second step of the slalom podium at the 1962 World Championships in Chamonix February 19, 1962 © - / AFP/Archives

"I especially remember being very cold. It was sunny at the start, I left in a sweater and bareheaded. The weather got worse, with wind and snow, I was frozen, badly equipped for the wait at the start. We didn't have tents at the time. My teammate Charles Bozon, originally from Chamonix, was already a mountain guide, he had read the weather better, he was equipped and won the race !"

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Marielle Goitschel (combined gold and slalom silver):

"In 1962, I remember that we were staying at the Hôtel Albert Ier, there was the well-known magician Garcimore, who had done incredible tricks for us with packs of cards. He had given me a gift of a little bike that I still have."

+ Grenoble 1968

The competitions of the Olympic Games then also counted for the World Championships.

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Annie Famose (slalom and combined bronze, giant silver):

Annie Famose during the 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble © STAFF / AFP / Archives

"Grenoble was our big goal after the Worlds in Portillo (Chile) in 1966. Three medals for me was very good. We were a little isolated in our chalets in Chamrousse (Isère), we had few exchanges with the other athletes like at the other Olympic Games that I have known. We mainly experienced the event on TV. I always have a perfect memory of the opening ceremony with General De Gaulle".

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Isabelle Mir (downhill money):

"This event was a permanent obsession. I was super ready, I had won all the descents that year except that of Grenoble. Fifty-five years later it still hurts me, the grief has remained. Shit. had waxed badly, now I can say it, there is a prescription, I had +hooves+ under my skis (patches of snow).

It was a great party, we felt that we had the country behind us, De Gaulle in the lead.

We felt this pressure, we were the best in the world, we shouldn't miss each other".

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Marielle Goitschel (slalom gold, combined silver):

Marielle Goitschel during the slalom of the 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble on February 13, 1968 in Chamrousse © STAFF / AFP / Archives

"It felt like the end of my career for me. My striking memory is going to see Ella Fitzgerald sing. For me, jazz is just music. I was very moved and so was she. I also took a photo with Audrey Hepburn at the bottom of the slalom, she had come to see me. I was very impressed, she was adorable".

+ Val d'Isere 2009

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Marie Marchand-Arvier (super-G silver):

Marie Marchand-Arvier during the descent of the Worlds-2009 on February 9, 2009 in Val d'Isère © OLIVIER MORIN / AFP/Archives

"Our trainer Laurent Chrétien had prepared us mentally for all possible situations so that there were no surprises on the day of the event. Psychologically I was ready. On D-Day I was in a trance, that I reached thanks to this mental preparation.

I was not a leader but I had a chance to seize.

I have a strong memory of Val d'Isère, a sort of plateau with a concentrated town center, we felt the popular festival everywhere we went.

It generated positive energy for me."

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Julien Lizeroux (slalom and combined silver):

Julien Lizeroux after his victory in the super-combined at the 2009 Worlds on February 9 in Val d'Isère © FRANCK FIFE / AFP/Archives

"I had won in Kitzbühel ahead of Jean-Baptiste Grange two weeks before the Worlds. I was in a good dynamic, and +JB+ had been capturing media attention for two years. We were in a good +mood+.

I remember the start of the second run of the slalom.

After the reconnaissance, you had to walk a bit and cross the road to take the chairlift back.

There was a line of spectators cheering me on.

I got into the chairlift alone, I passed over everyone in the finish area, the weather was nice, I said to myself + that's really cool +.

We were lucky with the public, because the slalom is the Sunday of the last day, and there was +JB+ who had been strong for two years.

It was super good child, very family, thoroughly for us the French.

I fed on that.

We had rarely seen so many people in France for skiing."

© 2023 AFP