The athletes who dominated the Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour, during the 2023-2024 season, were honored Wednesday evening during a ceremony organized in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. A time of gathering which also made it possible to highlight the support of the mutualist group for French athletics as a whole.
Athletes know how to transform themselves. We had proof of this on Wednesday evening in the reception room located on the top floor of the Maison de l’Alsace, offering a bird’s eye view of the Champs-Elysées, where the latter had swapped pointe shoes and swimsuits for city outfits sometimes requiring a few seconds of thought to identify them. The winners of the Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour were rewarded last night in this prestigious setting, during an evening organized by the mutualist group.
The first places in the general classification went to Margot Chevrier et Thibaut Collet (winter season), as well as Gémima Joseph et Louis Gilavert (summer season). They reward the regularity of its jumpers and runners, who distinguished themselves during several stages of the national circuit with 21 stages in an inclusive format (9 of them had para-athletics events on their program), which became over a reference in the field for years.
A dense and structured circuit
« The Crédit Mutuel Athlé Tour is an additional source of motivation, like a competition within a competitionestimates Margot Chevrier, happy to find, for an evening, well-known faces after a promising start to the season (five indoor competitions over 4.60 m) stopped short by a serious injury to the left ankle. We already had this group spirit in our event, with the Perche Elite Tour. Having created this circuit allows athletes from other disciplines to also taste this spirit. » It’s not the steepler Louis Gilavertauthor of a 100% French start to the summer season in Décines, Fontainebleau, Marseille and Nice, who will say the opposite. “ Competing in meetings in France was important for me this yearhe emphasizes. The level of racing is increasingly high and dense. When we arrive at a competition, we know that we will be put in the best possible conditions. »
Words to which Daniel Baalpresident of Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédéral, was obviously sensitive. Introducing the ceremony, the latter returned to the support provided by the mutualist group to the Federation since 2020 in numerous areas: that of meetings therefore. That of the French team too, with the apotheosis of the beautiful harvest of the European Championships driven by the emergence of a new generation. For the occasion, the heptathlete Auriana Lazraq Khlassthe decathlete Makenson Glettyand the triple jumper Thomas Gogoisall three medalists in the eternal city, had also made the trip and were warmly applauded.
Support on a territorial scale
But Crédit Mutuel’s support has also been translated on a more territorial scale, with the implementation each year of calls for endowed projects offered to FFA affiliated clubs, to enable them to develop and structure themselves around strong initiatives, sporting but also societal. Without forgetting the direct aid provided to athletes or, in a completely different register, the holding of the “celebration march”, the operation organized in six cities in France at the beginning of October, which made it possible to raise awareness among nearly five thousand French people. the health benefits of active walking.
An essential support thatAndre Giraud made a point of greeting, in front of an audience made up of athletes, organizers of meetings gathered earlier in the day for fruitful discussions, and members of the Federation: “ Crédit Mutuel is a loyal partner, with whom our collaboration has grown since 2020he thanked. It allowed us to take an additional step in the structuring of our meeting circuit and supported us in many sectors. » If the president of the French Athletics Federation will leave office in mid-December, following the election of his successor, the strong link between Crédit Mutuel and the FFA is set to continue. “ We would like to continue to support the Federation during the next Olympiad. ”, in fact, announced Daniel Baalat the conclusion of his intervention. To the delight of the athletics family.
The editorial staff
Photos: © Philippe Millereau / KMSP / FFA
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