Some silver lining.
While the health crisis is currently threatening the entire economy of the mountain due in particular to the closure of ski lifts, a discipline manages to pull out of the game. Without rejoicing, of course.
But without denying his pleasure to find himself, finally, in the light.
This is ski touring, and through it its competition side, ski mountaineering.
In recent years, the practice of this sport had fallen somewhat into disuse with the boom in freestyle skiing and its banner, snowboarding.
Too tiring, not as fun and adrenaline-generating as tricks in the sky, cross-country skiing struggled to attract young people.
Until this winter bruised by the Covid-19, where, failing to be able to hit the slopes, we had to find another way to enjoy the wonders of the mountain ...
Axelle Gachet-Mollaret's XXL prize list
“Considering the context, many people have turned to ski touring and for us, it is a pleasure to see so many people discovering our discipline and who are happy to practice it, an experience they would have without doubt never lived without the closure of the ski lifts, ”Axelle Gachet-Mollaret told Figaro.
"I live in the Arêches-Beaufort resort in Haute-Savoie and really, all the ski touring rental shops have had to turn away people for lack of stock."
At 28, the Frenchwoman is at the head of the gondola for ski mountaineering - which depends on the Federation of Mountain and Climbing - in France with her XXL record: world champion in individual race in 2019, two victories over the legendary Pierra Menta (2016 and 2018), the world record for the vertical kilometer held since 2019, numerous titles of champion of France and Europe… She has quite simply won everything, or almost.
And nothing seems to be able to stop it, not even a maternity break.
The challenge of motherhood already met
Indeed, last summer, the young woman gave birth to her first child, a little boy.
This did not prevent him, a few months later, from making a victorious return to the World Cup circuit.
“The date of his birth fell pretty well between two seasons,” she says.
It was a challenge for me to come back this winter and the results came quickly, much to my amazement to be honest.
I didn't think I could perform so quickly again.
It is really a great pleasure to be able to continue my high level sports career and to take care of my little boy at the same time.
It involves organization, additional fatigue too but I think it helps me to have it.
It is an additional motivation with my husband, who also practices the discipline.
We know each other very well, we know who needs what at which time in terms of training.
And when it gets really too complicated, we say a big thank you to our parents who are very helpful to us. ”
“It is not enough to have the fund for the climb because the descent is also very important in terms of the stopwatch. It's a fairly complete sport. ”
Axelle Gachet-Mollaret
A thunderous return that allows him to tackle the stage in Flaine, Haute-Savoie, this Friday and Saturday in the costume of the world number 1 and favorite.
Even if she will not aim for victory every time since on Friday will be held the queen event of the individual, her specialty, with its succession of climbs and descents over more than 1,300 meters of elevation gain, while the next day the sprint will be in the spotlight, which requires different qualities, more explosiveness and less endurance since a race lasts between 3 and 4 minutes against 1h30 for the individual.
"It is mainly an endurance sport, but which also requires technique because you have to be a good descender", analyzes Axelle Gachet-Mollaret.
“It is not enough to have the fund for the climb because the descent is also very important in terms of the stopwatch.
It's a fairly complete sport. ”
One day at the Olympics?
A little-known discipline that the Frenchwoman started at the age of 11-12, under the impetus of her parents who exercised it in leisure mode.
But from the age of 15, she was caught by the competition virus, which then took her to the French junior team, hopes ... Until the heights that she reached in 2019, and that she dreams of finding in March next, during the World Championships to be held in Andorra.
Before, maybe one day, to taste the Olympic Games.
“I don't know if I miss Olympism,” she says.
I'm happy with what exists and I'm happy to have experienced so many World Cups and World Championships.
Now, I know that the steps are underway to try to make ski mountaineering an Olympic sport in 2026. There is a little hope.
And if the discipline becomes Olympic, I would try to qualify.
It would be a great challenge. ”
History to make even more talk about this ski mountaineering with multiple virtues in these difficult times of health crisis.
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