Patrick Malavieille confirms the invitation extended to Léon Marchand to the “Charbon ardent” festival in Cévennes

Screenshot of Patrick Malavieille's post on his Facebook page. – Jenny Bernard

The vice-president of the Gard departmental council, Patrick Malavieille, explains the reasons for his invitation to the event, made via a Facebook post on Friday, August 16.

The vice-president of the Gard departmental council, Patrick Malavieille, launched, on Friday, August 16, on his Facebook page, an invitation to Léon Marchand, for the Charbon ardent festival, which will be held in the town of La Grand-Combe next December.

Also read: Patrick Malavieille invites Olympic champion Léon Marchand to the "Burning Charcoal" party in the Cévennes

The proposal, judged "excellent" in the various comments visible under the post, is not to be taken with a pinch of salt since it is indeed confirmed by the elected official, from his vacation spot in South America. " The idea is that he can, after the stroll that starts from the city center, brandish the miner's lamp from the top of the Puits Ricard, which is listed as a historic monument", he admits. Patrick Malavieille refers to the lamp that the swimmer carried during the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. This lamp which represents the symbol of the miners to whom the town of La Grand-Combe pays homage, each year, at the time of Sainte-Barbe, "patron of firefighters and miners" due to his mining past. "He would be the guest of honor, that would be extraordinary."

"It’is a Cévennes invitation"

This invitation has a greater purpose than just the image of the four-time Olympic swimming champion at the top of the building. " Léon Marchand will receive an official invitation that we will make with the sports service of the Gard department. The Occitanie Region and the department have athletes who shone during the Olympic Games. The event would thus be an opportunity to bring them together at Grand-Combe and to link culture and sport", explains the elected official, who also served as mayor of the municipality in question. "This would also bring young people from the Alès basin into contact. This boy is brilliant and has values, my proposal may perhaps interest him". Then he finishes: "He was born in Toulouse. So we have one thing in common which is Occitanie. It’is a Cévennes invitation… Fingers crosseds".