medals are also won behind the scenes

Since Sunday, 630 athletes from 36 countries compete in one of the 18 Basque pelota disciplines. The French delegation has the firm intention of keeping its title of most successful selection : during the last World Cup in Barcelona in 2018, she had indeed won 15 medals including 5 gold
. To do at least as well this year, the French Basque Pelota Federation is pampering its players. On the program: wet cryotherapy, heated swimming pool, massages or sophrology. For this, the Federation has recruited specialists.

mental preparation

The sophrologist Virginie Tessari takes care of the mental preparation of the pilotari. “I bring concrete techniques, based on breathing and positive visualization. The objective is to give them tools to manage their emotions on and off the cancha.” This year, this preparation is all the more important as the Mondial is disputed in the Basque Country
at home for the athletes of the French delegation. “It’s harder to play at home” confirms the sophrologist, “because we can be disturbed by the outside world, family, friends”. Virginie Tessari is therefore carrying out a different psychological preparation to allow the pilotari to remain in their “protective bubble”to facilitate concentration and keep a competitive spirit.

The French team in a bubble

To preserve the bubble of the French team, all the members of the delegation are accommodated in a single hotel in Biarritz. The head of the delegation, Ghislaine Lassus takes great care: she takes care of the stewardship, the management of each player’s outfits, meal tickets, etc. The medical team is also consistent in monitoring the players. Physiotherapists mainly practice shock wave technique : one pulse per second that stimulates cells to accelerate the repair of damaged tissue. Athletes can also benefit from wet cryotherapy and they have a heated swimming pool, which is generally very popular!

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Nutrition and hydration

To optimize all the chances of medals, the French Federation of Basque Pelota has also recruited – for the first time – a dietitian. This is Ximun Tellechea, who knows the world of pelota well for having played with his bare hands at the Biarritz Athlétic Club. He pays particular attention to hydration to avoid fatigue during the game: “a bit like a cyclist who has a bottle of water as well as a drink enriched with healthy foods. It can be water with a squeezed lemon, a little salt or honey”. Regarding food, carbohydrate is an important element to facilitate recovery. “After the game, the meal or snack will be exclusively high in carbohydrates” says Ximun Tellechea. It is mainly found in starchy foods. The big cast of pasta after exercise, so it’s not just a myth!