Martin Grenier never stopped dreaming. The former sprinter has always wanted to relive the Olympic experience. His goal is about to come to fruition, but in a different role. To do this, he will have to cross the planet from one end to the other.
Unlike Félix Leclerc, Grenier will not trample the moon, but rather the Great Wall of China, the backbone of the Celestial Empire.
On May 15, the Sherbrooke resident will be at the start of a three-month epic. He will spend them in China, training the best sprinters in the country. He will also stop in Italy for a short training camp. This adventure will take him to the Paris Olympics next summer, exactly 20 years after his own Olympic baptism in the 4 X 100 meter relay event in Athens.
When he answered the FaceTime call from The Press, Grenier had just completed another day of training at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Where it hasn’t rained for two weeks and where every day has shattered the bar of 30 degrees Celsius. Where he rents facilities to oversee “the best sprint group in the world”.
In his team, the Quebecer has two of the three medalists in the 100m event at the last World Championships in Trayvon Bromell and Marvin Bracy, as well as Hakim Sani Brown, Gabrielle Cunningham and Christopher Taylor, among others.
All will be medal hopefuls at the World Championships in Hungary in August and at the Olympics a year from now.
He even worked with players from the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL earlier this year. “With sprinting, you increase your strength, your power, your speed. Whether you are a hockey, football or baseball player. I would love to go that route too. I like athletics a lot, but I was passed on too incredible knowledge. »
This knowledge has enabled him to attract runners from all over the world, including nine Chinese, among the best in Asia. Thanks to the success of his teaching, the Chinese Athletics Federation recruited him to prepare the team for the 2024 Games. stretch,” he says, sitting on his couch.
A long challenge
Grenier has always thought in seconds, even in tenths of a second. On the other hand, this new adventure will be counted in months, perhaps in years. Despite the scale of the project and the changes to which he will have to adapt by going to live in Beijing, on the Olympic site, he accepted the Chinese offer without hesitation: “It was instinctive. I haven’t given it too much thought. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARTIN GRENIER
Athletics coach Martin Grenier (right) at work
The challenge is imposing, perhaps even a little dizzying, given the welcome he could receive in this rather conservative and protectionist country, but “it will be fine”, he reassures himself. “I’m not a very anxious person, but I’m aware of the challenges it represents. »
The Chinese are quite distant, they are difficult to approach, especially because of the language barrier. There are some in my own team who don’t speak a word of English!
Martin Grenier
Faced with this reality, Grenier remains cool-headed. If he’s there, it’s to win. To improve the performance of its runners. To propel Chinese athletics to another level. And that, he knows he is capable of. “The objective is to win the Asian Games and after that, to medal at the Olympic Games in the 4 X 100 m,” he specifies.
From Sherbrooke to Beijing
Before settling in the country of blue lotusGrenier has won its letters of nobility in the United States.
His performances with the University of Sherbrooke’s Vert et Or have opened many doors for him south of the border. His victory at the Canadian university championships in his rookie year ended up giving his life a completely unexpected, but desired trajectory. At the time, he received offers from a dozen American universities. He eventually raced in Arizona, California and Kansas, eventually settling in Florida. First to Gainesville, then to Jacksonville.
Grenier feels comfortable either in his sneakers or in his suitcases. From west to east, he has always followed his passion. A former 100m specialist, the Estrien has always been guided by his instincts. The latter will even take him to China. Ultimately, this athletics enthusiast is fueled by the simple fact of “reliving the Olympic experience”.
Even if he will remain “a Québécois forever”, it doesn’t bother him to trade the red maple leaf for the five yellow stars in competition. “When I have goals in mind, I don’t have them at my feet,” he says in conclusion. I want to achieve my dreams. »