a samba for Émilie Menuet in Rio

And to think that she almost didn’t go! On May 28, 2016, when Blésoise Émilie Menuet achieved a time of 1 h 31′ 38 in the 20 km walk in La Coruña (Spain), obtaining the minimum requirements to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games, the deadline set by the French athletics federation has been exceeded for three days. Then began a period of uncertainty which ultimately did not last long: aligning itself with the international federation, France postponed its deadline, a decision which allowed Menuet to book his ticket for Rio. “I had not managed to qualify before, I had been injured during the winter in the hamstrings, reminds the walker. I registered at the last minute in La Coruña and finally beat my personal record there. »

She reached a milestone in 2015, one year before the Games

Quite a reward for the young woman then aged 24, who had started athletics around ten years earlier, in Marolles. “I had practiced several sports and I followed a friend who did athletics. Then I moved to the Blois club when I started secondary school. I joined the walking club when I was around 14 or 15, initially for the interclub competitions, and I did very well straight away. There was a good coach, Marc Glaudel, and also another walker who was in the French team, Louis-Guillaume Blanc.”

Even if the Olympics were in the back of his mind, as in that of every athlete, the challenge seemed enormous. The dream came closer one year before the Games. “I really took my times to the next level in 2015, a year when I also took part in my first senior world championship.” Then the first senior national titles also arrived, until this qualification for the Rio Games.

“The best race of my life”

An indelible memory for Blésoise. “I had the best race of my life there. I had prepared well but I didn’t expect to finish 13th^ethirty seconds off my record (1:32:04), I was just aiming for the top half of the standings. It was one of the only races where I finished with the feeling that I couldn’t have done better. However, it was very hot that day, many girls exploded, but I drank a lot during the race, twice per lap.

Although she made the most of her race, she was not able to fully immerse herself in the atmosphere of the Olympics. “We were in training camp in São Paulo before the race, they didn’t want us to be in the village too early. In the end I was only able to enjoy two evenings, I saw athletics, mountain biking and the men’s handball final. On the other hand, I took part in the closing ceremony, it was the first time I saw the Olympic flame. It was raining cats and dogs, I remember that we all put on our ponchos in the stadium!”

From walking to trail

Menuet will aim to repeat the feat by trying to qualify for the next Games, those in Tokyo. But Covid-19 and injuries will put an end to her ambitions. Although she has now turned the page on walking, she has not given up on high-level sport, far from it. Now based in Font-Romeu (Pyrénées-Orientales), where she used to come for altitude training, she works as a physiotherapist and has taken up trail running. “Walking was a big part of my life, I trained well but I couldn’t perform in competitions. So I told myself I was going to try trail running. And I have a lot of fun, I rediscover the surroundings on the mountain paths, there is a side of freedom that I like. »

And the results follow: Menuet was crowned vice-champion of France in trail running on April 7 in the Drôme, then vice-champion of France in mountain running on April 28 in the Hautes-Alpes. She also took part in the European off-road championship at the beginning of June in Annecy. And this summer, she will return to walking, but as a spectator, in Paris. “I’m going to encourage the girls with my friend Sarah Ali, from the Vineuil club. We have three participants this year, Clémence Beretta, Pauline Stey and Camille Moutard. It will be difficult to get a medal, but there is a chance that they will place well.”