It’s now official, Lyve-Stone Célin, 2024 French taekwondo champion under 74 kg, is part of the team of four athletes selected for the Paris Olympics for a demonstration tournament. In August, the young Guyanese will experience the reality of a dream he has maintained since his departure from Guyana in 2013, that of reaching the highest world level.
“I was selected for the team for the Olympics, in less than 74 kg. There are four of us, a selection made up of two women and two men.”
As usual, Lyvestone remains measured even if deep down he feels great joy. He had given up his selection for the Paris Games in April and focused on competitions such as the European Championship in particular where he finally lost in the quarter-final.
But the royal road has opened and next week, he will be training with the French team:
“I’m going to train with foreign teams, especially Denmark. Then I’m leaving for the military world championships. On my return I begin my preparation for the Olympic Games at the Hougalte Sports Center in Calvados. The teams from Korea and Iran will also be present, this will allow me to progress well.
There are still two months left for the young 23-year-old Guyanese athlete, a resident of Insep, to prepare for this meeting which will start for him at the beginning of August in Paris.
“I am very happy because I worked for this, the performances followed and so I deserved my selection and that makes me happy. The final objective is to win a medal, to represent France well.”
The Celin family has come a long way since 2015. Having left Guyana at a very young age with his older sister Laurygan whose footsteps he followed, Lyve-Stone has never deviated from his objectives and has built his trajectory step by step with the support unfailing love of his mother Maryse Célin and his sister. Together, they arrived at this first participation in the Olympic Games:
“It’s an honor for me to make these plays because Laurygan didn’t have this chance. It’s a way for me to pay tribute to him, to please him, to represent my family and Guyana as a taekwondo player. »
Maryse Celin is a fighting mother who did everything to allow her children to live their sporting dream:
“I was uprooted from my Guyana to follow my children’s dream. Seeing my son participate in the Olympic Games is a mixture of immense pride and deep emotion. This is the culmination of years of dedication and sacrifice, both for him, for Laurygan and for our family. This represents not only a dream come true, but also proof that perseverance, passion and I do not forget my deep spiritual faith, can lead to excellence. For me, the selection of Lyvestone is a moment of celebration and recognition of all the efforts he has made to reach this level of world competition.”
#French
