Tears flow again and again.
Victim of a terrible injury - a double open tibia-fibula fracture - in the midst of the Olympic Games in Rio, Samir Aït Saïd had vowed to win gold in Tokyo.
To definitively put aside this cursed afternoon in August 2016 and the long months of rehabilitation that followed.
Also to respect the promise he made to his dad, who died of cancer in January 2019 "to get this Olympic title".
There was no Marseillaise at the Ariake Gymnastics Center on Monday.
No medal either.
The flag bearer of the tricolor delegation finished fourth in the final of the rings.
Upset.
“It's hard, because this 4th place, I deserve it, he breathes.
It's hard because I've worked so hard, I've sacrificed so much.
It's hard because I couldn't express myself as I wanted… ”The gymnast then revealed that three days earlier, in training, he had injured his biceps.
“It happened on a very stupid thing, I was going down very slowly, I can feel something.
I stop right away, I tell my coach that I felt something weird in my arm.
The ultrasound won't reveal much.
"I'm crazy, I'm crazy"
“It reassured me, with three days off, I told myself that it would pass. I also thought that adrenaline would prevent me from hurting… ”During the warm-up, the pain is however more intense. “I saw that it was impossible, I couldn't do anything. All my opponents came to ask me why I was not warming up, I replied:
No no there is nothing
. I then had a blow of pressure while saying to myself:
But how am I going to do?
There was no question of flinching, however. “I was asked if I wanted to forfeit”. Samir pauses: “That's not me, it was inconceivable to give up, I'm not someone who gives up, let alone in the Olympic final. "
To read alsoJO from Tokyo: "Coming back from injury does not make me a hero" ... Samir Aït Saïd, the salto of the resurrection
The physiotherapist gave him a tourniquet.
Once again, like during the terrible post-Rio rehabilitation sessions, Samir gritted his teeth.
“I don't know how I did it, I couldn't do it again.
I thought it was going to fart on the rings, and despite that, I went.
I am crazy, I am crazy ”.
Tears still flow.
"I couldn't express myself 100%, I could win, I could…"
The Chinese Yang Liu and Hao You dominated the final, ahead of the Greek Eleftherios Petrounias, Olympic champion in 2016. The French finished in the worst place. “But I am not cursed, because I will win in Paris in 2024. He repeats. “I am not cursed, I am not cursed. Today I didn't deserve to win, not with what I did, but it's not over! I will eventually have this medal, that's for sure. Don't you think I'll stop on a fourth place? "
