A stage race.
The revelation of the identity of the flag bearers is a highlight on the road to the Games.
Sometimes invited 100 days before the event, this time the communication will only take place in the home stretch (early July), a few days before the opening ceremony (July 26).
Who will succeed Clarisse Agbégnénou and Samir Ait Saïd, those elected to the Tokyo Games in 2021 (who had, for the first time, shared the honors according to a recommendation from the IOC to promote parity)?
To discover
Paris 2024: the map of Olympic sites
The thorny question of the standard bearer’s exemplary nature
The criteria retained by the French National Olympic and Sports Committee are: having participated in the Games, not having been a flag bearer and respecting Olympic criteria and values and ethics.
David Lappartient, president of Cnosf adding:
“For this last criterion, how high should we set the bar, this is part of the eligibility guide that we must refine, must we have an extract from the B3 locker, from the B3 locker B2, should we take into account sporting sanctions or other sanctions?
We want the standard bearers to embody the values and that it does not start with controversies.
Read alsoJO Paris 2024: what are the criteria to be designated flag bearer of the Blues?
Antoine Dupont, Kylian Mbappé or Victor Wembanyama who could discover the Olympics do not meet the conditions.
No more than Teddy Riner or Clarisse Agbégnénou (already designated standard bearer).
And probably not Nikola Karabatic (convicted in the betting affair which shook the small world of handball) and Renaud Lavillenie (involved in a motorcycle accident).
Read alsoOJ Paris 2024: Clarisse Agbégnénou is ironic about the selection criteria of the flag bearer which put her aside
For the rest, the process should offer each Federation the opportunity to nominate two candidates (one woman and one man) for a period from April 1 to May 31.
The candidates will then be announced in mid-June.
The blue delegation (around 560 Olympic and 260 Paralympic athletes) will move to electronic voting after July 8, the date of registration of qualified athletes on the IOC platform.
It is an essential, crucial, inspiring role, loaded with symbols
Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the CPSF
“It’s unprecedented to leave full delegation to the athletes. An election by his peers. In case of a tie, priority will be given to experience. And in the event of equality between federations (elected officials cannot practice the same sport) it is the one with the most votes who will be elected,”
specifies Astrid Guyart, co-president of the high-level athletes’ commission of the Cnosf.
“There will be no pressure from the Cnosf or the Cpsf for this or that
,” assures Lappartient.
The race is on.
The names will flourish (Florent Manaudou, Estelle Mossely, Nicolas Batum, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, Mélina Robert-Michon, Léon Marchand...).
“It is an essential, crucial, inspiring role, loaded with symbols.
A very strong bond, the incarnation of the face of the French team
,” summarizes Marie-Amélie Le Fur, president of the Cpsf.