(Zhangjiakou) “I hope my girlfriend will want to be my valentine!” »
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
Antoine Cyr was laughing in the mixed cross-country skiing zone, Sunday afternoon, after the 4 X 10 km relay. On this February 14 without competition for the cross-country skiers, he is one of the rare Canadian athletes who will be able to celebrate Valentine’s Day in due form at the Beijing Olympics. As much as possible with the mandatory masks and the plexiglass cubicles of the cafeteria.
Cyr, tongue-in-cheek: “There isn’t much in the Olympic Village. We’ll surely have a nice romantic dinner in the cafeteria. There’s KFC or Pizza Hut, maybe we’ll eat that! I do not know. »
His girlfriend, Laura Leclair, is also part of the Canadian cross-country ski team. She didn’t think she would have the opportunity to meet her lover so often in Zhangjiakou.
“In the World Cup, last year, there was really a bubble for women and a bubble for men,” said the Chelsea cross-country skier after qualifying for the individual sprint last week.
“Here, we are like in a nice bubble, we can continue to see each other and talk to each other. It’s really fun. For both of them, these are our first Games, we are here for the experience. It’s really special to experience this together, in the same village, in the same sport. We are lucky. »
However, wearing a mask is mandatory everywhere. “I’m roommates with Cendrine Browne. I wouldn’t want there to be situations that [tournent mal]. We do it and we live well with it. Last season, we spent two and a half months together at the World Cup, but we couldn’t see each other. Just being able to talk to each other is a bonus. »
Already qualified for the Olympic team, Cyr was competing at Canmore Trials last month when his girlfriend secured his spot by winning the individual sprint.
“It was heart warming, I was really happy for her,” said the Gatineau athlete. Laura and I not only share a common passion, we share our lives. We’ve been dating for almost four years now. It’s exceptional to live that with her. »
Even in front of a barrel of fried chicken or a greasy pan pizza.