Fise Montpellier: the 27th edition, a great success and a preview of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Anthony Jeanjean tentera de remporter le titre olympique à Paris. Midi Libre – Dorian Cayuela

En sacrant les spécialistes du BMX Anthony Jeanjean et Laury Perez mais aussi les meilleurs Français en breakdance, le festival montpelliérain s’est positionné comme une parfaite préparation avant le plus grand événement de l’histoire du sport français.

For five days, in Montpellier, there was a foretaste of the Olympic Games. Every year since 1997, the International Extreme Sports Festival brings together several urban sports disciplines and their best international specialists. 80 days before the great Olympic mass in France, the 27th edition of the Montpellier event was a great success.

Organized in its emblematic location, along the Lez with its concrete banks and its vegetation which offers a welcome breath of fresh air to escape the beating sun for a few moments, it brought together hundreds of thousands of spectators who did not & rsquo;did not hesitate to pay for their place, a first in the history of a free event until then.

Fise inspired the Games

In a little over two months, the Place de la Concorde where the BMX freestyle park, skateboard and breakdance events will take place between July 26 and August 11, will have areas of Fise Montpellier. "We contributed a lot to the fact that these disciplines became Olympic, rejoices Hervé André-Benoit, the boss of Hurricane Group, the company organizing the festival which is responsible for installing the BMX park in Paris. We have always wanted to showcase our sports, and the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games is doing it perfectly well with much greater resources."

In Montpellier, last week, French athletes were able to take the pulse of what awaits them in the capital in terms of popular support. They undoubtedly appreciated the enthusiasm around their discipline, considered the pressure they will have to overcome and even measured the road that remains for them to travel to be part of the party in Paris. "This summer, it will be magical, a big celebration for sport, for BMX, believes Anthony Jeanjean, the star of Fise. It’s the biggest competition you can participate in as an athlete."

BMX, a life-size test

As for its discipline, the BMX Freestyle park, the premier competition in Montpellier, the Fise version 2024 could have turned into the last big confrontation before the Games. But we will have to wait for the Olympic qualifying tournaments in Shanghai this week and Budapest in June to see all the podium contenders reunited in Paris. Some of the favorites – the Australian Logan Martin, the Englishman Kieran Reilly and almost all the best riders on the circuit – preferred not to go to France in May.

Anthony Jeanjean has chosen not to miss his home appointment. He even took the opportunity to win, a first in his career, during the Montpellier stage of the World Cup, just to build up his confidence and give himself an ovation worthy of his talent from an audience fully committed to his cause. Her teammate with the Blues Laury Perez did the same for a Hérault double which will go down in history.

Breakdance, head turned towards Shanghai

The breakdance events opened the festival this year. They did not count for the Olympic qualification which will be played out during the two upcoming TQOs in China and Hungary. Already holding a ticket for Paris, the Perpignan b-boy Dany Dann did the honor of his presence unlike Montpellier Khalil Chabouni, recently crowned champion of France, who preferred to remain focused on the race to the qualification

The French women stopped off in Montpellier and offered the public a superb show since the three best tricolors reached the semi-final. And the victory went to b-girl Kimie who beat ex-Montpellier b-girl Carlota in the final.

Once concluded, the Fise Montpellier gives way, this Monday, to the passage of the Olympic torch relay. As a symbol to underline the link between the Montpellier festival and the biggest event in the history of France.

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