(Paris) William Émard began his first Olympic qualifications with two falls on the horizontal bar. He finished them with his best result of the season on the rings, just weeks after overcoming a torn right biceps.
Her score of 14.400 was not enough to earn her a place in the final on this apparatus, but beyond the result, it was the gymnast’s tenacity that was remembered on Saturday…
The Canadians were among the first group to take to the apparatus during qualifying on Saturday morning. First up: the horizontal bar.
Émard stepped onto the mat to the applause of a very noisy crowd at the Arena Bercy, even in the absence of the French gymnasts. He had barely started his routine when he fell heavily for the first time. He got back up, attacked the bar again… before falling a second time.
Result: 11,066.
Not exactly the start he was hoping for for his first Olympic Games.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
William Émard (center) encourages his teammates during qualifying for the gymnastics finals.
In front of the media, some three hours later, Émard took it all in stride. When he was told about this laborious start, he exclaimed with a smile: “Did you notice!?”
“The high bar is not my apparatus,” he continued. “I’m not the one who is supposed to give one of the three marks [qui seront comptabilisées pour le concours par équipe]. I’m really here to give the guys the momentum, to give the first successful routine… not successful at all, my mission has completely failed.”
“When I missed the first move, I was a little stressed. I didn’t see the bar at all. Usually I see it in the air. I thought: the lights, maybe? I don’t really know. We start again, and then I fall again. I even ate a knee in the lungs. I was like: ah ok, great.”
Although the gymnast was “disappointed” with himself, he quickly recovered. The team was counting on him mainly on the floor, vault and rings.
There, he did not miss his shot.
PHOTO OLIVIER JEAN, THE PRESS
William Emard with the Rings
“We took the gamble”
Émard delivered a “very nice” floor routine, which earned him a score of 14.000, but it was on the rings that he was impeccable from start to finish. His score of 14.400, his best of last season on that apparatus, is exceptional for him, considering he tore his right biceps in February… during a rings routine.
In March, he received an injection of platelet-rich plasma. Here he is, some four months later, delivering his team’s best performance on a device that is, let’s say, demanding for this part of the body.
“It was a big success today,” he admitted with relief. “I was just doing plank elements, and I added a cross on top of that, which is really demanding on the biceps.”
“We took the gamble. We know that when I increase the difficulty, it generally pays off. Today, it came out really well and I managed to stabilize my exit very well at the end.”
After his routine, the Laval player let out a cry of joy that could be heard all the way to the top of the Arena Bercy, where your representative from The Press was watching the competition.
When I realized, I had a moment, a smile on my face. After that, I greeted the judges, just to enjoy the moment. In February, I didn’t see myself here. Now, I’m at the Olympics, performing on the rings with the best team I could ask for.
William Emard
“I’m very happy with how I was able to get back on track, but it was based on the trust I have in the guys.”
When he met the media, Émard was ranked fifth, but several teams still had to compete until the evening. So he didn’t know if that would be enough to be among the top eight who would advance to the rings final.
If he did, “it would be sick” and he would try to “enjoy it to the fullest,” he said. Otherwise, he would be fully satisfied regardless. Even a top 10 would be “incredible,” said the main person concerned.
“I’ve come a long way in the last few months,” he added.
He already has victory.