Axel May, edited by Ugo Pascolo 06:42, Feb 21, 2022

With 14 medals on the clock at the Beijing Olympics, France brought home one less medal from these Olympics.

A mixed record, especially since 13 of the 14 awards come from the ski federation, and only one from the ice sports federation.

How to remedy this situation?

The Beijing Olympics ended with an indisputable observation: France is stagnating.

With 14 medals, the tricolor athletes bring back one less than in Pyongchang and Sochi, in 2018 and 2014. Especially since on closer inspection, 13 awards come from the French ski federation, on which depends in particular the very prolific biathlon.

As for the last, in gold, the country owes it to the duo Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron.

"We try to do what we can on all the disciplines of the ice"

However, ice sports are not only figure skating, it is also speed skating, bobsleigh or even curling... So at the time of an assessment not as haloed as hoped , a complete diagnosis is essential according to Nathalie Péchalat, president of the French Federation of ice sports.

"We try to do what we can on all the disciplines of the ice", she recalls at the microphone of Europe 1.

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A Marshall Plan?

But among what is lacking, there is a lack of means.

"When I talk about resources, I'm talking about human and financial resources, but also equipment. Curling rinks which are almost non-existent in France, a bobsleigh track costs an arm and a leg."

And faced with these difficulties, there are not 36 solutions according to Nathalie Péchalat: "Yes, I quite agree with a Marshall plan."

A project that "will hurt [the portfolio, editor's note], and it will be hard because you can't be good everywhere." 

The Netherlands, for example, have no mountains, but monopolize the podiums thanks to their speed skaters.

Eight titles won in Beijing, which allows them to finish in sixth place in the nations, four ranks ahead of France.