In Beijing, the bobsleigh events begin this Monday, February 14 for men. Romain Heinrich is the French pilot, an Isérois. First pusher in Sochi in 2014, this former shot putter later became a pilot. For his third participation in the Olympic Games, he is aiming for a good place in the top 10 in the two-man bobsleigh. If he can envisage it, it is thanks to the progression of the French bob in recent years.
“Ten years ago, sport was not funded, neither by the Ministry of Sports nor by the French Ice Sports Federation, remembers Romain Heinrich. It was an initiative driven by clubs, athletes and families of athletes. I have really seen the sport evolve in ten years. For three years, we really have the budget to be able to talk about performance.” And the driver from Isère has something to do with this development. He entered more than 30 times in the top 12 in the World Cup. Results that prompted the Federation and the Ministry to invest in a high-level bobsleigh. Essential financial aid, but insufficient to cover all training and travel costs, so since 2016, Romain Heinrich has regularly put on a suit to canvass companies.
“There is an entrepreneurial dimension in this sport, as in many “small” sports. It didn’t bother me to take it on, it’s rewarding, we’re carrying our project. It’s true that it sometimes makes for very long days and that can take us away from our role as athletes, but this dimension also makes this sport interesting.
Romain Heinrich is sponsored by a fifteen companies in the region. The association set up to support him thus collected almost €45,000 since 2016.
“Obviously, if we compare ourselves to certain teams and nations, for example the Germans, we can always say that it lacks the budget, compared to them, delays the Isérois. I think that today, if we are able to present a male and a female team, with hopes of performance, it is good that the sport has managed to structure itself. It’s motivating for us, and a small responsibility, but it’s going in the right direction and it’s a good thing.
Departure of the men for the two-man bob event, this Monday, February 14 at 1:05 p.m.. The four-man bob events will take place this Saturday, February 15, from 2:30 am.