Allison, you were the last torchbearer, this Thursday in Metz, you lived this experience in front of hundreds of people. What did you feel ?
“A lot of emotions, excitement. It’s a huge joy to see people in the streets, the smiles. You feel that it’s a moment of sharing, a happy moment, really. I didn’t realize it right away. There’s this moment when you get out of the bus, when you wait. When you start running, you realize a little bit what’s happening. The crowd gets excited. You can hear the noise in the distance, the people waiting, who feel the flame coming. It’s a truly magical moment. I was in front, in the bus, all the way and it’s a very special moment.”
What touched you the most?
“We feel a unity, we feel the values of the Olympics, it brings people together. I saw the little grannies who came out onto their balconies, who answered my hello, the families at the different points of the relay. It’s a lot of lightness in a particular context. It feels so good.”
You are not from Moselle but you know this city well, you will return there next season. Quite a symbol…
” Yes really. I was offered two cities. There was Chartres, my birthplace, but I moved when I was one year old. And there was Metz. I chose Metz. To me, that made a lot of sense. I didn’t see how I could not choose this city, for multiple reasons, personal, sporting. It was simply obvious. »
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“A huge privilege”
You had this special role of lighting the cauldron. Is it also a great promotion for women’s handball?
” Exactly. A great promotion for women, for women’s handball. It’s a symbol. It deeply touches me. It is an enormous privilege to carry the flame but to light the cauldron is above all else, in terms of emotions. It’s a moment that will remain engraved, that’s for sure. »
You were not selected to compete in the Olympics. Does this create a mixture of emotions for you? Is there an element of disappointment?
“No, there is a lot of pride at first. If I had been at the Games, would I have carried the flame? Would I have lit the cauldron? We’ll never know, but in any case, I would have had that privilege. And I feel a lot of gratitude. I feel lucky, that’s what I want to remember. Olympism has “drifted” me throughout my career, it continues to do so and I don’t think it will ever stop. »
