Former sombrero freestyler and 13th in the world ranking. Here he is now wearing the coaching hat, to supervise around twenty kids full of future. With his association La Compagnie, Quentin Ladame has built a sports structure providing access to the high level… the 2030 Olympics in the sights, obviously.
There are only three freestyle clubs (Vars, Puy-Saint-Vincent, Briançon/Serre Chevalier) in the Hautes-Alpes, is this enough to have a chance of shining at home in 2030 (the events will take place in Serre Chevalier and Montgenèvre)?
“Everything is possible as long as the planets align. Putting a Haut-Alpine in the Olympics is not at all a crazy dream. But if we want to get there, we will have to professionalize at the club level and at the station level to have supervision and equipment in line with our ambitions. I'm not saying we'll win an Olympic medal, but we have kids who are talented enough today to build hopes. »
What exactly should we build?
“I set up my association in Vars because the training conditions there are very good with, in my opinion, the best snowpark in France. Other stations should have infrastructure of this type. In France, we are behind on freestyle. In this respect, the 2030 Olympics represent an extraordinary opportunity to develop, but we still need to change mentalities and we also need real will from the Federation. »
In fact, how can you take the teenagers in your team to the top in just six years?
“In the specific case of La Compagnie, we would need coaches, a physical trainer, a mental trainer, a physiotherapist. We should also be able to organize more courses, not necessarily on the glaciers because that is not the future but in Lapland before the season for example. And then we need an airbag so that we can train all year round: this equipment has revolutionized our sport but there is none in the Hautes-Alpes, it's a big lack. »
All this is expensive…
“If we collectively embark on the 2030 Olympics adventure, we must not do it by halves. You have to go all out, otherwise it's useless. You must therefore have the budget and have the freedom to use it wisely. An Olympic project has to be built: financial, technical, logistical and human resources are needed. »
Do we have a sufficient pool of athletes to make it worth betting so much money on them?
“Locally, we have the talents, we have the energy, we have the skills. But shining at the Olympics cannot be decreed. At the same time, we must build a high-level culture in agreement with families. We must now find kids who are completely committed to the path of professional sport, who are ready to stay focused on this objective. The very high level is first of all a competition with yourself, constantly challenging yourself to push your limits, manage your emotions. »
The Region has announced a 2030 Olympics plan, does that appeal to you?
“It’s great because there are budgets involved. But I'm afraid it's going to pass me by because I don't really know what to do to recover these subsidies. What will be the award criteria? Who will decide on the attributions? I'm in sports and only in sports, so this whole part about the political behind the scenes is foreign to me. I just hope it won't be window dressing. »
France
