Valentin Porte should be in Germany this Sunday with the French Handball Team. He is in France, he spends the weekend all alone at the Maison du Hand in Créteil. Tested positive for Covid 19, last Thursday when he had passed through since the start of the rally of the blues at the end of December and especially 6 days before the start of Hand’s Euro and the first match against Croatia.
Thursday night, it was a “very cold” shower for you! How did you react ?
When I read the results of the screening test in the evening and read and reread it 3 times positive, I fell back a little bit because I was absolutely not expecting it. Suddenly, that posed a problem for me and that worried me also for everyone I said to myself my God if it starts again like that at that moment, it could be really problematic for the competition. Well, luckily, luckily and bad luck too, it only falls on me.
How are you doing ?
This is what is all the more frustrating. It’s that I’m in great shape, maybe even more fit than some players. I train on my own, I train twice a day since Thursday, I do weight training this morning. Tonight I’m going for a run.
I have the rhythm of a high level athlete except that I am all alone.
So, are you in solitary confinement at the Handicraft House in Créteil?
Yes yes and since Saturday I have been all alone … completely alone. The guys left for Germany to play their game and then go straight to Hungary and I stayed there. We had a long discussion with the staff who suggested that I go back to Montpellier. I decided to stay there alone and train on my own.
Valentine, you are vaccinated. It seems to me that you have already contracted the Covid once last year?
This is absolutely. I had stayed positive for 21 or 22 days, so … so it’s clear that it’s not a good memory. I don’t want to think about it because I wouldn’t want it to happen again. Now, I remain optimistic and positive in the sense that I have no symptoms. I feel very good, so I tell myself it’s not possible. I don’t want to be positive for more than 4 or 5 days when I’m in great shape. I am not a doctor. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I’m trying to stay positive. -smile ..- in the head.
I work out everyday to keep in shape and have a chance to join the guys asap.
You think it’s still possible to be in Hungary on Thursday for the first match. The countdown is therefore inevitably started because two negative tests are needed, spaced 24 hours apart, five days after the positive test.
Yes, there is a chance. Mathematically, there is a chance now, it will be necessary to quickly become negative again, it is a tiny chance. But even though, unfortunately, I can’t be there for the first match, my goal is to come back as soon as possible so as not to miss the competition too much. So again, how lucky I am is that I have no symptoms and can work out. So I stay in shape. . I am not nailed to my bed. So if luckily I manage to join them, I won’t be late, physically, I think.
You are all alone at the hand ball house, you have to eat ?
(laughs) Yes until this Sunday evening, the chef prepared the meals for me .. I’m really on my own .. I even played a game of pool against myself.
Valentin Porte is tested daily. He is in any case in the selection of the 20 players chosen for the Euro.