Sailing: Lou Berthomieu and Tim Mourniac, stronger than the events, will participate in the Olympic Games

Tim Mourniac et Lou Berthomieu vont monter en puissance jusqu’aux Jeux Olympiques . MAXPPP – SPEICH Frederic

Malgré une grave blessure au genou en juillet 2023 pour Lou Berthomieu, le duo s’est qualifié pour les Jeux Olympiques en Nacra17 et veut se montrer sur les Mondiaux.

Everything could have stopped in Marseille in July 2023, a year before the Olympic Games. The Marseille test event should have been an opportunity for Lou Berthomieu and Tim Mourniac to further establish their French domination in the Nacra17 category but also to make an impression on the foreign crews.

And then from the second day of this dress rehearsal on the stretch of water where the Olympic sailing events will take place, it's the big tile. The Nantaise's knee gave way while they occupied 4th place in the general ranking. The verdict is final, rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. She therefore goes through the operation and rehabilitation box."It’was a little hard blow, but in fact, very quickly I turned to how to come back faster and better than before", explains the young woman, 23 years old.

Everyone focused on their part

"It's never easy, but we handled the situation pretty well, and I'm very happy with the way we handled it& ;quot;, assures Tim Mourniac who focused on his navigation part. "I’tried to maximize time on the water, and also looking for settings, etc. So my association with Aloyse Retornaz throughout the autumn part was really prolific on that."
Everyone focused on their part to move the project forward even if the 26-year-old from Vannes sent videos to his partner and to be ready when the qualifying events were played. "We said that the best way is to “mess” each on our own about what we can do. I told him not to think too much about sailing but you have to come back with a concrete knee in 5 months."

Lou therefore returned at the beginning of January with a strengthened knee but also very sharp. "It turns out that I came back physically in better shape and more prepared ." An observation also made by his partner. "Lou was able to draw strength from her injury, so she came back much more powerful in her upper body, with much fewer physical shortcomings."

They quickly “rematched”

Progress that then had to be validated on the water both in terms of automation and benchmarks. "We “rematched” quite quickly in terms of coordination and how to move the boat forward. The whole period at the start of the year was great to experience. Everything became clearer because there was this uncertainty of not having raced together for six months, and of arriving in Palma which is the last selection competition for the Olympic Games", don’t forget Tim.

The fourth place at the Trofeo Princesa Sofia showed that the duo was back at a good level and that they deserved their place at the Olympic Games. As a result, he approaches these World Championships in La Grande-Motte more calmly. "The objective this week is a little different, it’s the first time in a year that we are sailing without the pressure of qualification, of a Franco- French, so it feels good", says Lou.