Last chance for Olympic qualification for Dorange-Renard (C2) and Beaumont-Burger (K2) two-seaters

The bet is simple: only the two-seater winners of today’s final, this Wednesday in the Hungarian pool in Szeged, will win the last Olympic quotas up for grabs (two tickets will be awarded on Thursday for the single-seaters).

For the French team, which achieved only two during last summer’s WC, in men’s C2 (Adrien Bart-Loic Léonard) and women’s K2 (Manon Hostens-Vanina Paoletti), the challenge is enormous.

First failing in Germany, Eugénie Dorange and Axelle Renard have the advantage of being at the top of the list in C2 and must therefore win in a dry final as there are only four boats entered.

If it will be necessary to make it happen in the run, the Dorange – Renard duo suppose that their association for three seasons will be an asset. “The more we sail together, the better we feel, we feel more together in the boat. And individually we have progressedsays Eugénie Dorange. Throughout the year, the goal motivated us every day to work hard. Now, as we get closer, the pressure is really there. But we concentrate on every session produced and try to detach ourselves from the problem. »

The duo presents a peculiarity, the two athletes paddling on the same side. Something that can become complicated in crosswinds. “I haven’t looked at the weather report, I don’t want to know, promises Eugénie Dorange. If conditions are bad for us, I don’t want it to make me think. And it is not superstition. I just don’t want to worry about what I can’t control and waste energy unnecessarily. »

After an internship in Guadeloupe in December, another with physical preparation in Font-Romeu, and two weeks in Sardinia, she and Axelle Renard focused on their two-seater in the Vaires-sur-Marne Olympic pool. “We were lucky enough to be followed all season by Mikaël Ortu, my club coach for many seasons”specifies Auxerre resident Eugénie Dorange. Unlike the boys, and as we were quite close to the quota, we received support from the union. We were not left to our own devices like the men’s kayaks. »

Yes, for kayakers the gusts stirred up the water. After the world championships in Duisburg last summer, where K4 failed to qualify, the French federation fired its coach, former world champion Philippe Colin, and cut support for men’s kayakers.

Maxime Beaumont and Guillaume Burger managed as best they could until the end of March. “With Guillaume, we regrouped in Vaires for all working hoursexplains the oldest of the Blues (42 years old). During the more than three and a half weeks out of five that we spent together, we rode K2 every day. We were in good shape physically, the idea was to make adjustments to the boat. With the selection mode, it was a gamble for the association, it was necessary for the two strongest in singles to form a compatible two-seater. Fortunately, we are used to cycling together. It saved us a lot of time. »

Accompanied by a trainer for the occasion – “Three brains, for collective intelligence” Dixit Beaumont, the duo draw on their 15 to 20 years on the international circuit for precious time together: “We have experience together in race management, experience competing in K4 in position 1 and 2emphasizes Maxime Beaumont. We have a common vocabulary and we are getting to know each other very well. »

Their K2 will have to deal with heterogeneous competition against around twenty crews from the series, then in the semi-finals, before trying to win the final. “It’s the first competition of the year, we don’t know the levelsrecalls Maxime Beaumont. There are K2s that existed last year, quite a few K2s from non-selected K4s, like us for example, there are new ones, there are Russians and Belarusians that we haven’t seen in years… There are difficult to give a prognosis. We have to give our best version, hoping that is enough to win. » THE the challenge will be significant.