REPORTAGE
On the ice, Tom tries to stay focused, even if his thoughts are elsewhere, concerned about the scandals that are shaking his sport. In Charleville-Mézières, the French junior figure skating championships are opening in an explosive context. Sarah Abitmol's book, in which she accuses her former trainer, Gilles Beyer, of having raped her on multiple occasions, caused a stir, and even before the trials began, dozens of journalists have already settled on board track. For young skaters, it is not easy to enter the competition as if nothing had happened.
"It may have happened to skaters I know"
"It is unacceptable. In competition, you are alone with your trainer (s). When you are at the hotel, he is the same. Maybe it happened to skaters or skaters I know, but they never talked about it. It happened 30 years ago, it could have happened 10 years ago like last year. We don't know, "wonders Tom, 18, at the microphone of Europe 1. "This doubt dishonors skating", he regrets.
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All week long, the subject was at the center of conversations between young athletes. Especially since a surprise visit by Didier Gailhaguet, the president of the ice sports federation, suspected of having covered - among other things - the actions of Gilles Beyer, cannot be excluded on Sunday. "It's to show that everything is fine," tackles one of the championship organizers. Summoned to resign by the sports minister, Didier Gailhaguet had initially opposed him categorically, before backtracking, and to put forward the hypothesis of a resignation, if this was the only way to " unblock the situation".
"Everyone knew"
For Didier Lucine, trainer in Annecy, his departure is as urgent as necessary. He denounces the "lies" of the president of the federation. "Everyone has known all of Gilles Beyer's actions for years. Not a member of the federation can say the opposite. When you listen to Didier Gailhaguer, Cahuzac is a child at heart. It's mind-blowing with lies", he rebelled at Matthieu Belliard's microphone.
According to the coach, it is "possible" that other testimonies will be added in the coming days to that of Sarah Abitbol. "But many do not want to speak, they have children, they know that it is difficult, that there will be fallout behind. As long as he [Didier Gailhaguet] is there, on TV, that he is powerful , it's impossible."