Why Anthony Jeanjean did not win a gold medal, despite an anthology run

After long months of work, Anthony Jeanjean saw his dream of a gold medal disappear in two stages, after a fall and a controversial score. The Frenchman admits to “small technical errors” which cost him the title.

Suddenly, the Concorde caught fire. Nothing to do with the scorching temperatures of the day: it was Anthony Jeanjean’s second run that made the mercury rise during the BMX freestyle final, Wednesday, July 31. With his back to the wall after his fall on the first jump of his first run, the Béziers native then produced an anthology run that made the crowd roar. In the stands, the opinion was unanimous: the gold medal went to the Frenchman. But the judges decided otherwise.

With a score of 93.76, Anthony Jeanjean only took provisional second place. A few minutes later, he slipped to third, narrowly overtaken by the British Kieran Reilly (93.91). The Concorde crowd roared, considering the Frenchman had been cheated by the judges.

“I’m rather disappointed, I came for the gold, but I’m not leaving with it. It’s rather a failureconceded the Frenchman, afterwards, at the foot of the park. I have a run that can win if everything goes as planned. It didn’t go as planned.”adds the man who has been meticulously preparing for this meeting for over a year.

“I made a few small technical errors that cost me the gold medal. The judges saw them. They saw me all week. They didn’t miss me, that’s how it is, that’s the game, it’s a sport of judgment, you have to accept it.”

Anthony Jeanjean, bronze medalist in BMX freestyle

to franceinfo: sport

At the last World Championships in Glasgow, in August 2023, Anthony Jeanjean had already had to learn to live with failure, after his two falls in the final which had killed any hope of a medal. Marked, the Tricolor then explained that he would use this disappointment to arrive stronger in Paris, with new tricks prepared for many months, in secret, knowing that he was highly anticipated.

In the final, despite his fall in the first run, he dared to reveal one. “The double flair [le deuxième saut sur la vidéo ci-dessus, à 00:10], world premierehe savored, after the fact. I managed to land it, I’m very happy. It’s partly this trick that brought me this medal, even if I had the end of the run to go for the gold… I’ll appreciate it later. The work paid off, you know. I’m staying on a positive note.”

“We can discuss second and third place… I have my opinion on it, but they are judges, you have to accept it. I am rather bitter, but I finished on the podium, with an Olympic medal around my neck: it remains exceptional. With time, I will appreciate it and take a step back.”

Anthony Jeanjean

to franceinfo: sport

According to Christian Van Hanja, a consultant for France Télévisions, there is no cause for scandal either: “When you only have a 1.23 point gap between 4th and 1st, there is a lottery aspect to it. It was a crazy run, which should have given him the gold medal, but he made a few mistakes. He made a tiny slip [redressement des roues dans l’axe du vélo] at one point when he lands, which makes him lose speed. That’s enough… The big surprise is that the judges, for once, did not give priority to complicated tricks, but to style, originality, amplitude and a feeling of ease.” But after his initial fall, the Frenchman was inevitably more tense.

“It wasn’t easy, but I’ve already fallen. I know you have to move on quickly. If it doesn’t work on the first run, it will on the second. I made a few technical mistakes, because I gave it my all.”

Anthony Jeanjean

to franceinfo: sport

“He lost the gold on the first run, because after that, he was under pressure. Moreover, he almost fell in the second run. He went for this medal with his teeth. If he had done his first run correctly, he would have been calm to push in the second,” continues Christian Van Hanja, who notes: “Anthony is the only one of the first four to do a single full run, he came back from nowhere. It’s unexpected, it took a lot of mental strength”. The Béziers native assures that he drew this strength from the public: “It’s all thanks to them. The public is really an asset, I transformed their energy.”

The only competitor to do a double flip (double back flip) in this final, Anthony Jeanjean aspired to do better at these Games. His plan was then unfolding “like on BMX wheels”according to his coach, Jean-Baptiste Peytavit. Namely: finish the first round between 3rd and 5th place, to leave the pressure on the others.

A plan that was shattered after his fall, even if the Frenchman found the resources to get back up and go for the bronze. Getting back up is what Anthony Jeanjean plans to do in the coming months: “An Olympic medal, I know it’s not every day. I got it this year. Now, I’m going to keep working. I’m going to savor this medal, to go get a different one in Los Angeles in 2028.”