Sailing: “We have the ability to perform in all conditions”, assure Erwan Fischer and Clément Pequin

Clément Pequin et Erwan Fischer veulent encore se montrer performants. MAXPPP – Franck Dubray

The crew selected for the Olympic Games was able to bounce back after its non-selection for Tokyo. 49er World Champions this year, they will do their best this week for the European title.

Was non-selection for the Tokyo Olympics a driving force in qualifying for those in 2024 ?

Clément Péquin: In any case, it’s sure that it was an additional strength, because we had motivation, we believed in ourselves, we had this ability to say to ourselves, we know that ;rsquo;we belong here. I think that indeed, it was an additional source of motivation to give the best of ourselves in the selection events. We also brilliantly won the World Championship. It’s true that we told ourselves until the end, we know that anything can happen, so we stay focused until the end of the selections, and we'll see what happens. We came back in the best possible way from our last World Championship. It was great, we closed the debate for the selection.

Was there additional motivation ? There was definitely progress in three years ?

Erwan Fischer: Yes, it’s sure that afterwards, it wasn’t easy years since there was Covid. The resumption of competition did not happen immediately. There were twists and turns since we took the opportunity to move on to the surgical plan with the knee. In 2023, there was an injury for Clément to the meniscus, for me it was to the back in Marseille in September. We were still able to do some tests, prepare ourselves as best as possible, surround ourselves with resource people who allowed us to progress, to put our finger on certain subjects that we wanted to progress, particularly in relation to the previous Olympic preparation in Tokyo, which allowed us to gain momentum.
Afterwards, it’s a sport where there are lots of parameters, so it doesn’t happen overnight. It also took us a few years to progress, to try things, to see that things still didn't work, and in this case to branch off, conversely, to insist on certain points in order to be able to respond in a more efficient and effective way. more regular too.

Precisely, when we look at your last regular results (winners of the Test Event, World champions, 3rd at the Olympic Week), you were, no ?

C. P. : Yes, it was a highlight to be really more regular. What is important is to be versatile, no matter the conditions. It was really a major objective, in any case, it is to say to ourselves that now, we know that we had potential when there was a little wind, because it was a bit windy. were our favorite conditions, but we know that to be a good crew and really scare the others, and then for us to be able to get podiums, regardless of the wind conditions, we had to work extra hard . These are things that we have been able to do. Now, we look a little less at the wind conditions, we will say, and we know that we have the capacity to perform in all conditions. It was really something that we wanted to bring up to date for this new Olympiad.

Can we say that you have full confidence for these Europe ?< /p>

C. P.  : We have a preparation that is a little sloppy and is not what we expected, because we have just arrived and it was necessary have a little rest between the sequence that we have had since January. We took the opportunity to have a short week at home, we don't even do a six-day week. It’s part of the performance to have these moments of interruption to come back, to be fresh, to have a clear mind, that’s really important. It’s something where we also worked quite a bit around it to know a little bit about everyone’s needs, because as we are a crew too, there are needs that are different. So we had to sort it all out a little to really know what the other needed to arrive on the big day and perform well. So that’s all the work we’ve done in recent years.

What is the goal of the week?

E. F. : We never set a goal. We never said to ourselves, we come to win. Afterwards, in any competition, we always go there with the desire to perform. We will first have to get out of the qualifying groups. Afterwards, at the end of the two or three days of finals, it is about getting as close as possible and winning a race medal. And then, to be closest to the podium.

First cut for the Nacra17 and the 49er

Results After three days of racing and nine regattas, a first “cut” fell on Thursday evening. The first twenty-five in the Nacra 17 and 49er categories are qualified to join the gold group. On Sunday, the ten best will be kept to compete in the “medal race”.

The French are still in the race to reach the podium of the European Championship, especially in the 49er with the duo Erwan Fischer and Clément Péquin (5th, 55 pts) just ahead of their compatriots Lucas Rual and Emile Amoros. Ahead, it is still the British crews who dominate, Peters-Sterritt (1st, 28 pts), Grummett-Hawes (2nd, 30 pts).

In Nacra17, the Blues are a little further away since Lou Berthomieu and Tim Mourniac are in 12th position (52 pts) while Margaux Billy and Noah Chauvin just make the cut (25th, 100 pts). The first can hope for the medal race but have work to do to catch up with the reigning World champions and well on their way to achieving another success, the Italians Tita-Banti (12 pts).

In 49erFX, great comeback from the tricolor duo Charline Picon – Sarah Steyaert who occupies third place (47 pts) in Europe, not far from the Belgian leaders Maenhaut-Geurts (42 pts). The French women took advantage of the four regattas of the day (only one raced, Wednesday) contested under a thermal wind.

On Friday, conditions should be the same.

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