Cyril Jonard, the deaf and blind judoka, more successful than Teddy Riner

Cyril Jonard did not leave our colleague Bernard alone for long. A cigarette, a beer at the restaurant and his reputation was made. “Bernard, do you smoke? And do you want whiskey in your coffee?” Cyril Jonard does not see and does not hear, but he knows, in a short time, how to size up his man. At the restaurant Les Récollets, in the city center of Limoges, the boss, who pays his respects, already knows the athlete’s order (85 kg for 1.72 m): a plate of pasta. Generous, if possible. Same punishment for Jason, Cyril’s coach. And a bowl of water for Pims, his guide dog. Two months before the Paralympic Games – we met last June – the team is gathering strength.

When they are not sitting at a table, the three athletes travel between the Basic-Fit gym in the industrial zone, the dojo, the physiotherapist and the cryotherapy centre. In one day, they crisscross Limoges by car, and Cyril, in the passenger seat, acts as a GPS: “Right at the light, first exit from the roundabout…