(Paris) “Thunder and lightning”: that’s how the leaders of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) unofficially designated the two flag bearers for the opening ceremony of the Paris Games.
Obviously, the “lightning bolt” is Andre De Grasse, the six-time sprint medalist, who had some memorable encounters with the great Usain Bolt, the original “lightning bolt”.
Maude Charron would therefore be thunder, an image which suits her well, if we imagine her lifting 130 kg from the ground, more than twice her weight, in a fraction of a second.
Naturally reserved, the Olympic weightlifting champion received her nomination to lead the Canadian delegation on the barge that will parade on the Seine, along with a hundred of her counterparts, as a bolt from the blue on Friday evening.
After her title in Tokyo, the 31-year-old athlete thought long and hard about her desire to extend her career for another Olympic cycle. What convinced her was the possibility of living the experience to the fullest, in the company of her family members and surrounded by spectators. She will be served by sailing on the famous river in front of some 300,000 people, including the three most important, her mother, her father and one of her brothers.
“I’m super excited for them, so much so that I forget I have to be excited for myself!” Charron said a few hours before the ceremony.
Originally, she was not even supposed to participate in the event, since her last preparatory training camp is taking place in Nice, a city in the south of France where she will return on Saturday.
I was a little disappointed. Plus, the kit [de vêtements] was my favorite! Ultimately, I get my experience handed to me on a silver platter. Not only do you get to do the opening ceremony, but you also get to carry the flag. That adds to my experience.
Maude Charron
On the barge, she wants to “absorb as many memories as possible” and has promised herself to “forget [son] phone, to just experience the emotion as much as possible.”
Originally, his family members wanted to attend the party, but changed their minds after not being able to get tickets. With the help of the COC, they changed their plans to enjoy this unique moment. Charron’s boyfriend will not be able to attend since he will only arrive in France for the competition, which will be held on August 8 at the Arena Paris Sud.
Maude Charron hesitated before accepting that Weightlifting Canada submit her application to the COC. Her coaches convinced her that she would have plenty of time to recover from any potential additional fatigue.
Her weight cut is going well, having had to go from under 64kg to 59kg in the last Olympic cycle due to a reshuffle of the categories for Paris. After two years of “trial and error”, she is surprised at how easily she was able to slim down in preparation for the competition.
“Strangely enough, this time it seems like my body knew it was coming. So I eat a lot more. My nutritionist is surprised too. Then my body is like: Oh yeah, we need to lose weight? Perfect, we’re losing weight!”
Although age has forced her to modulate her energies during her preparation, Maude Charron feels stronger than ever and even ready to beat her absolute personal records in the City of Lights.
“I’m in good shape. I’ve had some really good training. Even though I’m five kilos lighter, I’m lifting the same bars. I don’t know about you guys, but I’m looking forward to my competition!”
As long as the sky doesn’t fall on his head during the famous ceremony…