Florent Manaudou criticizes French sports policy

Eight months before the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Florent Manaudou, renowned swimmer and potential French flag bearer, expresses his reservations about the country’s approach to sports. While President Emmanuel Macron aims to place France among the top five countries in the Olympic Games, Manaudou highlights the lack of preparation and investment in sport. As France returns from Tokyo with 33 medals and an eighth place finish, he believes the challenge of reaching the top five nations in the world may be too ambitious, given current resources. According to him, the reduction in physical education hours in schools and the lack of resources dedicated to sports are indicators that France is not yet a country of sports in the full sense.

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Manaudou calls for long-term investments

Florent Manaudou argues that to effectively prepare for the Olympic Games it is necessary to start well in advance, ideally between 10 and 12 years before the event. He compares the situation in France with that of other countries, especially English-speaking ones, where sports infrastructure and investments in athletes are significantly higher. According to him, France has sporting talent, but lacks support and infrastructure comparable to that found in Australia, for example. This notable difference in the approach and resources allocated to the sport is, for him, a major barrier to French success at the Olympic Games.

Little hope for an Olympic revival in 2024

Manaudou, who is aiming for a fourth Olympic medal in Paris, is not entirely pessimistic, but realistic about France’s chances of making a significant leap in terms of medals at Paris 2024. He recognizes that, although medals will be won, and perhaps in greater number, recent efforts to improve French performance at the Olympic Games could be insufficient. According to him, the measures taken in the last two years are not important enough to hope to double the number of medals. He cites the example of the United Kingdom, which invested massively in sport between 2009 and 2010, achieving excellent results in 2016 and 2020.

Manaudou and the Australian preparation

In his search for another Olympic medal, Florent Manaudou is preparing in Australia, highlighting the benefits of training in a country with better infrastructure and greater support for athletes. His decision to prepare abroad illustrates the need for French athletes to seek opportunities elsewhere, due to the lack of adequate resources in France. This approach raises questions about the effectiveness of French sports policy and the importance of greater investment in sport to achieve better results.

In conclusion, Florent Manaudou openly criticizes French sports policy, highlighting the lack of preparation and long-term investment to succeed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. His choice to prepare in Australia reflects the need for French athletes to seek conditions optimal training abroad. .