There will be a Caen club in the first national division of a sporting discipline during the 2024-2025 season. The Conquering Badminton Club of Caen will play in the Top 12, the French elite, after its victory in the play-off against Flume Ille (5-3), Saturday May 4. “It was really 50-50 before the match, everyone had their strengths. We knew it was going to be balanced until the end,” explains Alexandre Toutain, the coach.
READ ALSO. Badminton. “We are going to touch the Grail”, the Conquerors of Caen climb into the Top 12
A whole season’s efforts rewarded
A victory achieved during the eighth match, with the pair composed of Weronika Gorniak and Baptiste Lamirault, who replaced Antoine Bebin (injured right ischio) at short notice. The story is beautiful, because it was already thanks to a mixed doubles with Lamirault that the club rose to Nationale 1 last year. “I had never played with Weronika and I had only done two mixed doubles this year (with Clara Lassaux). I told the team, if you put us at 4-3, that’s good, we’ll win the mixed game. (laughs) . And we did it! »says Baptiste Lamirault. “I told him at the end of the match: “You are still the player of the rise””smiles Alain Françoise, the vice-president of the Calvados club.
Promoted this season, it is therefore the second rise in two years for the team coached by Alexandre Toutain, while maintenance was the initial objective. The Caennais finished second in their group (six wins, one draw, two defeats and one forfeit), behind Rostrenen. “There is a very good state of mind, very good team cohesion. Everyone had the same goals and the same desires. Our players were well prepared psychologically, they knew they had to go into battle. Baptiste and Weronika symbolize this well. They grew in confidence and level throughout the season”thinks the Norman coach.
In the elite, it will now (really) be a question of maintaining.
FLUME ILLE – CAEN: 3-5.
FLUME ILLE: Men’s doubles, Dufay-Kersaudy beats Dubois-Lamirault 2 sets to 0 (21-19, 21-19); Men’s singles 2, Chenu beats Bebin (abandonment); Mixed doubles, Kersaudy-Crespel beats Dubois-Kelly 2 sets to 0 (24-22, 21-15)
CAEN: Women’s doubles, Kelly-Lassaux beats Crespel-Dubois 2 sets to 1 (21-13, 17-21, 21-15); Ladies’ singles 2, Gorniak beats Delatouche 2 sets to 0 (21-17, 21-8); Ladies’ singles 1, Lassaux beats Canu 2 sets to 0 (21-8, 21-14); Men’s singles 1, Eudeline beats Le Coq 2 sets to 0 (21-11, 21-13); Mixed doubles, Lamirault-Gorniak beats Bodin-Dubois 2 sets to 1 (16-21, 21-19-21,19).
