They were welcomed on the forecourt of the town hall of Poissy (Yvelines) by a guard of honor formed by the young people of the club.
Cassandre Beaugrand, Léonie Périault and Dorian Coninx were able to judge their new status after their bronze medal in the mixed relay of the Olympic Games in Tokyo (Japan).
On July 31, the pisciacais trio, associated with the double world champion Vincent Luis (licensed in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois) as the last torchbearer, entered the history of its sport by winning the first Olympic medal in the French triathlon.
“When Vincent comes back (leading the race) and attacks, we thought we were in gold and there was a bit of disappointment at the finish, reveals Dorian Coninx.
But 20 minutes later, we enjoyed this bronze medal ”.
"The story is all the more beautiful because it was written here, in Poissy, day after day", remarked Karl Olive, the mayor (DVD) of the town before giving each of the three champions the city medal.
Also read Tokyo en Seine: Poissy, capital of "sorting"!
Before embarking on a long signing session, the heroes of the day then shared their feelings about their new condition as Olympic medalists.
"If my career were to end today, I would already have this beautiful line on my record," explains Dorian Coninx, at the Poissy club for eight years.
I have the satisfaction of having accomplished something great.
But I want to go further and even if I have trouble looking at three years old (Editor's note: towards the Paris 2024 Olympics), I will have a little revenge, the hope of doing just as well individually in Paris.
"
Holidays in Greece and nature for Beaugrand and Périault
Beyond the change in notoriety, has their daily life as semi-professional athletes changed?
And what does he want to do with their Olympic medalist bonus which amounts to 15,000 euros per athlete for bronze (65,000 euros for gold and 25,000 euros for silver)?
Olympic medalist triathletes (bronze in mixed relay) in the middle of a signing session on the forecourt of the town hall of Poissy.
“I'm going to take a vacation in Tanzania in mid-October,” reveals Coninx (27).
It will be safari and I also hope to climb Kilimanjaro!
"It will be a nature vacation and nothing more", complements Léonie Périault (27), fifth in the individual event, the best performance at the Olympics for a French woman.
“I dreamed of Guadeloupe but with the Covid, I just went to Greece for a short week,” breathes Cassandre Beaugrand (24).
The two champions will continue this weekend in London (United Kingdom) with the Super League, a lucrative event which, again, is intended to change their daily lives.
“I love this short format and take it as a game,” concludes Beaugrand, winner of the final in Singapore in 2019.