Eliot Grondin is not afraid to say it: he was impressed by the full scale of the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. This will not be the case in Beijing.
“I will not be surprised this time. [Les Jeux olympiques], it’s big, it’s impressive and it takes a lot of energy,” he said from Germany, where The Canadian Press joined him earlier this month.
The snowboard cross specialist will also have less of the impression of swimming in the fog.
“I already have an idea of what’s to come, and I’ll be better able to prepare for the few days there,” added the 20-year-old athlete. It is certain that due to COVID, the experience will not be the same as in 2018, but it is a good experience to have experienced the Games for the first time. »
The snowboarder from Sainte-Marie, in Beauce, was only 16 when he walked the Olympic course at Parc du Phénix in Bokwang. By his own admission, he was not ready for such an experience.
“I had no stress related to my presence at the Games, but a stress of “racing” with the best in the world in one of the biggest courses that I had never ridden before. I would pay dearly to have the chance to deliver a new race on this course tomorrow morning! It is certain that I will be much less impressed [à Pékin]. I won’t be as unsettled as the first time. »
It’s a bit as if Grondin had arrived out of balance at the 2018 Games. Not only did he only get his ticket to Korea a few weeks before the Olympics, it’s a bit as if his whole career was had been at full speed until then.
born acrobat
It was his mother, Mélanie Turcotte, who first introduced him to snowboarding.
“I was 2 or 3 years old and I slipped in small plastic saucers behind my house, standing up. My mom told me that if I wanted to slide upright, there was one sport I should try: snowboarding. She enrolled me in the mountains not far from our home, for lessons the following year, and I caught the bug immediately. »
Four years later, his grandfather Denis Turcotte saw an advertisement for a Quebec Snowboard Cup in Stoneham. He decided to enroll his 8-year-old grandson there.
“I won the competition, so that made me want to continue. In my second Coupe du Québec, I finished in second place. There was no question of stopping after that. »
From the age of 8 to 15, Eliot, his father, Jean-Francis Grondin, and his mother traveled across Quebec, Canada and part of North America for the Quebec Cups as well as the Canadian and American Championships. .
“My parents and my grandfather found me sponsors to support my seasons during those years,” recalls Grondin. We walked a lot through the province. We were lucky to have a club that was not expensive and that was close to our home: so there were no accommodation costs. »
Competitive spirit
A born competitor, however, Grondin aspired to more. At the age of 15, he finally saw the competitions of the International Ski Federation open up to him. He won’t miss his chance.
“I got a first invitation, for the Veysonnaz stage in Switzerland, but I couldn’t take part because I injured myself in training. That year, I made several podiums on the North American circuit, I finished seventh at the World Juniors, but I did not take part in the Canadians, because I was injured. These results allowed me to break into the national team’s development roster the following season. »
However, the fight seems uneven against men, but Grondin is doing well enough to be part of the discussion for the 2018 Games. When it comes time to name the members of the Olympic team, however, he is left out. A coach, however, told him that he should take part in the World Cup scheduled for Turkey in early January, in order to solidify his Olympic quota, in case a place becomes available.
A few days before the competition, the whole family is helping to find flights that can allow Grondin to travel from Beauce to the mountains of Turkey, a journey that will take him some 36 hours.
The results are not at the rendezvous: he finishes 44and. But as predicted, this will open the door to the Games for him.
“There is a place that became free, I can’t remember the reason, if it was a country that refused it or if it was because of an injury, but I was the next on the roster, and I was able to join the other three guys on the Canadian team. »
From Turkey, Grondin will go directly to Korea. It was in this state of mind that he took part in his first Games. He will reach the round of 16, where he will make a mistake that will cause him to fall in a jump, thus sealing his first Olympics.
“The fall was one of too many falls that day for men. It’s a mixture of the speed on the course, my lack of experience at this level and against these guys, in addition to a lack of physical strength. I was not very strong four years ago. »
He now knew which elements to work on.
A podium in sight
“It’s certain that going from 16 to 20 makes a big difference, both physically and in terms of my maturity. I have evolved a lot. I have a lot more experience than in 2018, both in racing and in everything around snowboard cross. My level is much better than it was four years ago. I know that I have the capacity to do well: the results of the last two years prove it. It’s quite exciting. »
Second in the world rankings last year, Grondin has just racked up a few podiums during the last World Cups, which allow him to aspire to the Beijing podium.
“Like everyone who goes to the Olympics, I dream of a medal. I believe I am in a good position to succeed. I can’t wait to see the course. I think it’s going to be a good week for me there. »
Grondin will be on track on February 10 and will play the mixed team competition two days later.