While his successor Quentin Fillon Maillet offers himself a dream Olympics, Martin Fourcade has achieved his own goal in Beijing.
The ex-biathlete, retired since 2020, was elected on Thursday to the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
An eight-year term for the five-time Olympic champion, present in China as a Eurosport consultant, already chairman of the Athletes' Commission for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
A record number of 16 people had applied to join this commission, responsible "to represent the athletes and to support them, on the competition area as well as outside it".
Only two positions were vacant: those of the former Canadian hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser, and that of another former biathlete, the Norwegian Ole Einar Bjoerdalen.
The latter had resigned in 2016, after having finally decided to continue his career until 2018. The other seat fell to the former Swedish skier, Frida Hansdotter.
With Pau Gasol and Federica Pellegrini
2,307 athletes lined up at the Beijing Olympics took part in the vote, representing a participation rate of 80.50%, via ballot boxes installed in the three Olympic villages.
Martin Fourcade will now join this body, chaired by former Finnish hockey player Emma Terho.
The ex-biathlete will sit there alongside the legend of Spanish basketball retired a year ago, Pau Gasol, the double Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva or the former swimmer Federica Pellegrini.
“I am happy and honored to join the commission, he commented.
I have been a sports enthusiast since I was little, I had the chance to experience the Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, when I was little.
I saw my big brother (Editor's note: Simon) participate in the Olympics in 2006, he explained on Thursday.
I myself participated in Vancouver, Sochi and Pyeongchang, I won more medals there than I could have dreamed.
I believe in the values of Olympism and carrying these values within the movement is important.
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“We do not come to the commission with a program but with convictions, sensitivities, continued Martin Fourcade.
Coming from winter sports, we often have an interest in nature.
We must respond to environmental issues as far as we are concerned.
It will also be necessary to be in contact with the athletes to be able to understand their needs, their sensitivities.
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Before the start of the Beijing Olympics, the Frenchman distinguished himself by defending the event, accused of being too polluting due to its full use of artificial snow.
“I'm not saying it's good, but you're toasting toast in the morning, is that good or not?
Why is artificial snow stigmatized, he said on France Inter.
We use electricity to turn water into snow by sending it into the air, but I don't see the difference between heating the water in a swimming pool.
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