By Mamy Yves Ratsimbazafy – Published on 16 Nov 2024 at 14:30
With the gold medal around his neck following his breathtaking performances during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Léon Marchand has become the spokesperson for an entire generation. He in fact rebelled against a measure taken by the government.
The euphoria of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which promised to reignite the flame of sport in France, seems to have quickly faded. This is evidenced by Léon Marchand's strong reaction to the decision of the Ministry of National Education not to implement the two additional hours of sport per week in colleges as initially planned.
Léon Marchand initially enthusiastic about Emmanuel Macron's initiative
Remember that the enthusiasm generated by the Olympic Games had pushed the President of the Republic to mobilize his entire government to support French athletes and aim for a ranking among the top five nations in the medal table. With this in mind, increasing sports hours at school appeared to be a key measure. A tip intended to identify future talents and encourage sports practice from a very young age. Which greatly excited Léon Marchand.
The sportsman does not hide his disappointment
It was therefore with great disappointment that Léon Marchand learned of the abandonment of this project. On his X account, the professional swimmer spoke frankly. He thus took the opportunity to denounce a lack of coherence and a lack of political will.
His message quickly sparked a significant reaction from Internet users. On the social network, he simply shared the government's announcement made by journalists from L'Equipe. All this without failing to show a certain irony by including a disappointed smiley as a caption. In any case, this was enough to send his fans into a frenzy.
An angry sporting youth
Léon Marchand's words found a particular resonance with young sportspeople, who often feel neglected by public authorities. Many young athletes expressed their anger and incomprehension on social media, using the hashtag #PlusDeSportALecole to make their voices heard. “ Léon president “, we can read in many comments. “ Thanks for the support anyway», Adds another Internet user. These messages demonstrate young people's attachment to their sporting values and their desire to see sport occupy a more important place in society.
