At the French Gymnastics Federation, an election to reorient a disoriented body

Women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline, aerobics, tumbling, acrobatic gym, teamgym and parkour… With nine disciplines, from the oldest to the most contemporary, 340,000 members, a budget of around twenty million euros and a dapper and spacious headquarters in the heart of Paris, the French Gymnastics Federation (FFGym) is, on paper, a most attractive SME.

But when it comes time to renew governance, on November 22 and 23, the clubs and departmental committees – invited for the first time to vote live, under the law for the democratization of sport of 2022 – find themselves faced with a body torn between its attachment to traditional disciplines and the imperative need to expand.

After the three successive presidential mandates – the maximum authorized – of James Blateau, the oldest of the national sports federations, founded in 1873, appears as a dunce in terms of sporting results and has recently attracted the most negative publicity.

The Blateau era (2013-2024) resulted in a total absence of medals during the last three Olympic campaigns. The 4^e place of Samir Aït Saïd on the rings and the 6^e The places of trampolinist Pierre Gouzou and the rhythmic gymnastics ensemble at the Paris 2024 Games do not make us forget the inability of the men’s artistic gymnastics team (GAM) to qualify. And the world team bronze medal for women’s artistic gymnasts (GAF) in 2023 does not erase their Paris Olympic fiasco: eleventh place out of twelve teams entered.

“Transition” or “renewal”

On the national level, the approximations of Mr. Blateau, 68 years old, and the national ethics referent and executive director of the FFGym, David Vallée, faced with the parliamentary commission of inquiry relating to the operational failures of sports federations, earned the federation of severe reframing by the ministry of sports.

Two opposing visions give a new direction to federal governance. On the one hand, the « transition » promised by Dominique Mérieux, 63 years old, general secretary of the FFGym since 2013. On the other hand, the “renewal” played by Raphaël Lecerf, 46 years old, president of the Normandy regional gymnastics committee since 2017.

Former nursery school director in priority education network », Dominique Mérieux highlights his “mastery of federal workings” and his « implantation ». Evolving at different levels of the venerable institution for more than thirty years, this former gymnast, then judge and coach, lacks neither experience nor networks. President of a club of 800 members in Lyon, she administered the GAM national training center in Lyon where she notably saw Yann Cucherat grow – four participations in the Olympics and two world podiums –, now general manager of high performance at the National Sports Agency.

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