Léon Marchand's only competition in France, 800 accreditations prepared… Behind the scenes of the organization of swimming interclubs in Montauban

In the office upstairs, above the covered pool of the Ingreo aquatic complex in Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne), there is a commotion going on. Three days before the event, Wednesday November 6, 2024, a map is placed on the office at the entrance to the small room. Countless adhesive sticky notes are placed there. On one is written in pen “welcome athletes”. On another, “media and partners entry”. On a third the position of the judges is noted.

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Montauban swimming 82 is preparing to host the most important competition in recent years. We could even call it the most important in its history. Because even if it is an Occitanie interclub, an Olympic champion will dive on Sunday November 10, 2024, into the 25-meter pool where anonymous young people are training that afternoon. A global mega-star to be put on the same level as Antoine Dupont or Usain Bolt: Léon Marchand. Because if another Olympic vice-champion, Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, takes the plunge, all eyes will be on the Dauphins du Toec swimmer.

One year of work

Obviously, the logistics are totally different from a classic competition. “However, we have been working on this organization for a year,” remarks the president of MN 82 Valentin Barrau, who takes stock with Virginie and Mathieu at that time. At the time, we suspected that there would be Léon, but he didn't yet have his four Olympic gold medals.” Nor all the excitement around the new Marchand wave. Including in Asia where, after having competed in the World Cup and breaking a world record, his visit to the airport forced the authorities to secure part of the infrastructure where the Toulouse champion was to take off…

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Faced with all this hype, both media and people (fifty journalists should be accredited), Valentin Barrau does not forget his “primary objective: to enable good performance from all participants. Because there is a competition that must be organized from A to Z, Léon Marchand or not. We tries to frame everything down to the smallest details,” adds the former swimmer.

800 accredited people

“We have, in any case, pulled out all the stops,” assures the Tarn-et-Garonnais president. “We must be as demanding as possible. In total, journalists included, 800 people will be accredited to enter the complex, which can accommodate a maximum of 760 people at the same time. Among them, there will be around 480 swimmers. But accreditations are valid for the half-day. There must be fifty juries and twenty-five volunteers from the club. , which reminds us that the competition is closed to the public on Sunday. “Supporters can come the next day for the departmental Interclubs!”, which the club also organizes.

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Concretely, the entire complex and the forecourt parking lot will be inaccessible. Volunteers and a private security service, in addition to the planned municipal and national police officers, are dispatched. And a whole circuit inside the pool should allow the superstar to experience a (more or less) normal competition. “There will be noise!”, anticipates Valentin Barrau. Perhaps even more than imagined, if the times were to panic…