“It feels good to find the athletes, the staff and the Insep! »High-level director of tricolor judo, Stéphane Traineau displays a broad smile. Little by little, the establishment, which trains nearly 800 top athletes in the heart of the Bois de Vincennes in Paris (12th arrondissement), comes back to life after two months of closure during confinement.
Judokates reclaim the premises by performing laps on the athletics track. Weightlifters start the recovery with a rowing session. On the initiative of its director Ghani Yalouz, Insep prepared for the return of its champions.
If the self and boarding schools will only reopen in a few days, a signposted route will accompany the residents. The sun is shining and the atmosphere is rustic, while Roxana Maracineanu, the Minister of Sports, wanted to be present during this recovery. Four disciplines - weightlifting, table tennis, judo and trampoline - are waiting for you. The recovery is done drop by drop, passing through the medical service box.
The French judo team is almost complete. The two headliners - Clarisse Agbegnenou, still in Reunion, and Teddy Riner, who continues his preparation in the weight room installed at his home - are missing. “Clarisse is extremely serious and continues her physical preparation in a room that has been specially opened for her, we exchange regularly, specifies Stéphane Traineau. As for Teddy, he will be at Insep for certain sessions. Bodybuilding, he can continue at home since he has everything you need. "
"The Minister of Sports asks us to be proactive"
No question of rushing. "We explained to the judokas that we were there for them," continues the high-level director. We don't force them to come, we offer them. If they don't feel ready, they can take their time. Many will find the dojo this Tuesday, but, again, not for a classic session, contact sports are currently prohibited, even for top athletes.
"The Minister of Sports asks us to be proactive because it is certain that we will have to resume judo activity at some point," explains Stéphane Traineau. Above all, you have to be imaginative. "I proposed to the minister that our judokas could resume judo in a few weeks with specific measures: a clean kimono and a mask, avoiding the fight on the ground and in groups of 3 or 4 practitioners who would not change for 15 days. This would require a basic premise: to trust yourself. We will discuss all this. "
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Pending further action - not until June - training is focused on physical preparation. “Except for a few pounds overweight for some, everything is fine. Everyone was able to work during the confinement. We will continue on this path and seeing each other changes a lot. "