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The Française des Jeux launches the FDJ Sport Factory, a collective of 27 high-level athletes who will be financially supported for their sports career and their reconversion.
La Française des Jeux has become the third sponsor of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. Specifically, the FDJ will be "official partner" of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (Cojo), the second largest national sponsor, and the company has signed a license agreement with the Cojo to use the image of Paris 2024.
And like its predecessors, BPCE Bank and EDF, the first two sponsors of Paris 2024, the FDJ will also have its high-level sports team named "Sport Factory". Twenty-seven athletes in total, with world record holder Kevin Mayer and four-time Paralympic ski champion Marie Bochet as ambassadors.
" Foster the emergence of new talent "
Each athlete will receive 30,000 euros per year in image delivery for five years, or three for those preparing for the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
For the London Olympics in 2012, England had a very focused vision in the choice of aids and companies were hoping for a return on investment. Which is not really the case in France. La Française des Jeux wants to " give a boost, erase inequalities, encourage the emergence of new talent ."
At a time when money is becoming increasingly scarce for top athletes who are dedicated to an Olympic sport, the news is a boon. A thousand young athletes have also tried their luck.
" For many athletes, it is difficult to find partners and it is good that they can have visibility over several years. They will be quieter and this will certainly have an impact on their performance, "says Stéphane Diagana, world champion in athletics on the 400 m hurdles in 1997, who had benefited from the challenge program launched in 1991." For me, it had been a big boost and a form of encouragement when I was at the beginning of my career. "
Aim for Olympic gold and nothing else
" I had a very complicated time and it's a relief for me ," said gymnast Samir Aït Saïd . I will be able to prepare calmly until Paris 2024. I no longer have the anxiety to work outside of training. This is something I have already experienced and I can say that it is impossible to target Olympic gold with a parallel activity. It is not compatible. "
Same story of the boxer Carline Cruveillier, 21 years old. The vice-champion 2019 world (-54kg), said he was "relieved" of not having to fund everything itself, except competitions in the France team. " I'm sure I'll be better, because my brain will be focused on training. It's a pleasure to be part of this group, "says the woman who chose boxing to emulate her brother.
For Tony Estanguet, president of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games in Paris 2024, it is " an opportunity for the athletes ": " It is a support in the long term and it is good news. I also appreciate the diversity of disciplines and athletes that have been chosen. It's good to support very strong individual projects with medal chances at the end. French companies are becoming more and more interested in athletes and are focusing on sport in terms of communication, for the values it conveys.
Ensure a reconversion
Beyond the financial support, there will also be a support system for conversion. Everyone still has in mind the thrill of Émilie Andéol , gold medalist in Rio judo in 2016. The champion remained 18 months without activity, after retiring from sports. Unemployed and in the " galley ", she received a boost of solidarity after her cry of alarm.
" Yes, I am Olympic champion and I am unemployed. At first it was difficult ... ", she recently told the Parisian . " Sometimes, I regret being an Olympic champion, the fall would have been less hard. I thought so much that it would change my life. People idealize the thing, but, no, I did not become the queen of oil in Rio ! But I have lots of ideas, lots of cravings. During her athletic career, Émilie Andéol had done everything to reconcile high level sport and studies. The help of the Française des Jeux to these 27 athletes will certainly be valuable and may augur a change of mentality vis-à-vis sports exposed only every four years.