A little less than three months from the Tokyo Olympics (July 23-August 8), Charline Picon, reigning Olympic champion in windsurfing, won the bronze medal at the Worlds in Cadiz (Spain) on Tuesday.
Second three points from first place before the “Medal Race”, the 36-year-old Rochelaise finished only 6th in this final event.
With a total of 36 points, she has therefore demoted one place, seven units behind the Dutch Lilian de Geus, who retains her world title, and tied with the Israeli Katy Spychakov, silver medalist thanks to her 5th place. to the Medal Race.
Bitter bronze ... the best thing that could have happened to me before @ Tokyo2020 !?
I'm going to be angry 👊
- picon charline (@piconcharline) April 27, 2021
“Bitter bronze… The best thing that could happen to me before the Tokyo Games !?
I'm going to be angry, ”tweeted the native of Royan (Charente-Maritime), 2014 world champion and who won her fifth European champion title in March in Portugal.
Monday, Picon had managed a small miracle to stay in the race for the podium.
After winning the first two rounds of the day, the Habs saw their board take off and then fall back suddenly in the strong gusts of the third round.
To the point of ending up in the water, the sail flattened on the surface.
Despite this incident, the Frenchwoman was able to make up most of her delay to finish 40 meters from Lilian de Geus.
Candidate for the role of flag bearer
Since her return to competition in the spring of 2018 after her maternity break, La Rochelaise has climbed on the podium of the three World Championships in which she has participated: 2nd in 2018, 2nd in 2020 and therefore 3rd in 2021.
“We are in an Olympic year. Obviously, it was frustrating, but it was not the goal of the year at all. It was a staging post, she explains. It's complicated to chain three major events
(Editor's note: European Championships 2020 in November, 2021 in March, both times ahead of De Geus, and Worlds)
and to win everything. To be on the podium each time and to have had two victories is already very satisfying. There are a lot of lights that are green today, technically and quickly. "
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Charline Picon was only able to go to the Tokyo water body twice (in 2018 and 2019) to take important marks. “It's going to be the same for everyone. We already have good indications, she analyzes. We didn't spend many hours on the water but we still have some. I'm not worried about the technical side. In Japan, the Frenchwoman will not only be a candidate for a second gold medal in a row, but also for the prestigious role of female standard-bearer of the blue-white-red delegation.
