From the freshness of Niçois Mathieu Bailet who discovered the Winter Olympics at the age of 25, to the experience of Nastasia Noens (33), who is taking part in her fourth and last Olympics, via the go-getter Mathieu Faivre who wants to forgetting his ousting from the Blues in 2018, not forgetting the snowboard cross prodigy Julia Pereira de Sousa, the youngest medalist at the Winter Games in Pyongchang, the chances of a medal exist for our four athletes from the Côte d’Azur.
Matthieu Bailet (25 years old) – Alpine skiing
At the age of 25, the resident of the Nice interclub took part in his first Winter Olympics. Junior World Champion in Super-G in 2016, he progresses as fast as he hurtles down the slopes. First World Cup podium in March 2021 in Austria. One “kid’s dream” he said at the time. This time, the Niçois evokes “a big dream” when discovering the Olympic spirit. The little brother of Margot Bailet, retired from poles, is aiming for a Super-G medal at these Games and will also be the first from the Côte d’Azur to enter the men’s downhill on Sunday February 6 ( 4h – French time). He admitted to us that he saved space in his suitcase “in case” and promises a helmet in local colors as a nod to the Chinese.
– Anthony Oberst
Nastasia Noens (33 years old) – Alpine skiing
She is also a member of the Interclub de Nice. But unlike Matthieu Bailet, she knows the Olympic atmosphere by heart. Fourth Olympiad for the Niçoise, who could hang up the sticks at the end of the season after more than 15 years of career. Often placed, but never medalist, it is therefore the last opportunity for the slalom runner to engrave her name on the winners of the Winter Games. But for her, Beijing 2022 is “without pressure” and “maximum pleasure” she told us before flying to China. With this dream in her luggage: “win a medal of course, but if I achieve a Top 5 it will already be magnificent“. 7th in the slalom in Sochi in 2014, she had missed her test in Pyeongchang (20th). For the occasion, the Niçoise told us that she had learned several Mandarin words “to try to deceive!“She is at the start of the slalom on Wednesday morning (3:15 a.m. French time).
Mathieu Faivre (30 years old) – Alpine skiing
The skier from Nice is eagerly awaited at these 2022 Winter Games. Double world champion in 2021 in parallel and in giant slalom, the resident of CS Isola is one of the main chances of a French medal in alpine skiing. The fresh 30-year-old must also make people forget his nightmarish Olympiad in 2018 in Pyeongchang. Dismissed from the Blues after inappropriate remarks, the Azurean has since bounced back on the snow and hopes to get on the podium on the giant on Sunday February 13. “I learned a lot last year and I still feel like I have a lot to learn. If there’s only one thing to remember, for me, it’s the fact of not giving up.,” confided the Niçois to the official site of the Olympic Games a few days ago.
Julia Pereira de Sousa (20 years old) – Snowboard cross
The youngest medalist in the history of the Winter Games at just 16 years old on the snow of Pyeongchang in 2018, the Isolienne is more expected than four years ago, when she created the surprise. A resident of the Isola 2,000 club, she won silver in 2018. Four years later, she still hopes “return with a medal“as she confided to 20 Minutes before flying to China. Affected in the knee this fall, it does not however arrive in an optimal form. “The results were not there, but I’m super happy to have found the competition,” wrote the snowboarder on her Instagram account after her return to the slopes in Russia. Candidate to be France’s flag bearer, she was not selected and can therefore concentrate on her event. The women’s slalom final in snowboard cross is scheduled for Wednesday February 9 (from 2:30 a.m. French time).