The swimmer Florent Manaudou, who aims to regain Olympic gold in the 50m at the 2020 Olympics, "dreams" of being standard bearer, from 2020 or even in Paris in 2024, he said on the sidelines of a event organized by its equipment supplier Arena, Monday in Marseille.
“It would really be a dream to be a standard bearer. It would be an honor. It's something I want. I asked the federation to introduce myself, "said Manaudou (29), crowned 50m Olympic champion in 2012 and silver medalist in one way in 2016.
2024, it also works
“But there are surely other athletes who are better placed than me. I think Renaud (Lavillenie, Olympic pole vault champion in 2012) will be elected. But I would love to, ”he continued. "I would like to be in Paris (at the 2024 Olympics) too," he added. The best would be to be an Olympic champion in 2020 and a standard bearer in 2024. That would be great! "
As for the 2016 Olympics, the flag bearer of the French delegation for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games (July 24-August 9) will be elected following a vote by athletes designated ambassadors of their Olympic federation ( maximum two per federation, one man and one woman). The list of these voters, who will have the opportunity to apply, will be known on April 15.
Between Antalya and Marseille, the epicurean Manaudou has not become an ascetic via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/lJux5Ic6V8
- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) December 19, 2019In any case, Manaudou, who returned to swimming last spring after more than two and a half years away from the pools, during which he devoted himself to handball, sees himself "continuing to swim after the Games" in Tokyo. "The ISL (the International Swimming League, a private circuit whose inaugural season took place at the end of 2019), it was cool, it will allow me to swim fun races, 50m breaststroke, 50m backstroke, m ' have fun and not just do a 50m freestyle, "he said.
"I do not have the same state of mind at all (as during the first part of his career): there is much more fun, while being concentrated and high level sports anyway," he said. -it develops. Manaudou's Olympic qualification goes through the French Championships, from April 14 to 19 in Chartres. Until then, he will fly away at the end of the week for a two-week internship in Tenerife (Canary Islands) and will not dive in competition until Marseille at the end of March (20-22).
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Swimming: Can Florent Manaudou be Olympic champion in Tokyo after three years of stopping?
- Florent Manaudou
- Sport
- OJ 2020
- Swimming
- Flag bearer