School sport has a new boss. This Wednesday, Jean-Michel Blanquer formalized his choice by appointing Olivier Girault, at the head of the National Union of School Sport (UNSS), the sports federation which works in the secondary level of national education. “Happy to announce the appointment of Olivier Girault, Olympic Champion, of the world who was captain of the French handball team, at the head of @UNSS. As a team, he will give new impetus to school sport for each of our students and for a sporting France nation @ Paris2024 ″ tweeted the Minister of National Education and Youth and Sports.
Happy to announce the appointment of Olivier Girault, Olympic Champion, of the world who was captain of the French handball team, at the head of @ unss.
As a team, he will give new impetus to school sport
For each of our students and for a sporting nation France @ Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/4vW03qyshP
- Jean-Michel Blanquer (@jmblanquer) December 22, 2021
At 48 years old, the former international handball player, at the time when the France team was nicknamed the "Strong", succeeded where he had failed last year in the race for the presidency of the French federation handball.
The former president of the National Handball League (NHL) between 2018 and 2020 adds a new string to his bow.
Him, who has also worked as a consultant in several media.
The appointment to the post of national director is a small revolution for the UNSS.
Until the 1990s, her predecessors were all from the teaching profession, like Nathalie Costantini, its former director who left her post last October after being appointed Inspector General or Medhi Rahoui, who acted as interim. , and who was a former school principal.
By deciding to entrust the reins of school sport to a former high-level athlete, the Minister of Education responded to the call of former high-level athletes, who demanded this type of profile.
It was good because with Olivier Girault, the other postulant was Gévrise Emane, the three-time world champion in judo.
This designation just over two and a half years before the Paris Olympics is a strong signal to youth and training policy in the country.