Cross-country skiing: a great collective bronze medal for the Bleues
Tuesday morning, on the slopes of Pragelato (Italy), the tricolor cross-country skiers Felicie Chappaz, Manon Favre Bonvin, Julie Marciniak et France Pignotall four members of the Haute-Savoie Nordic Teamwon the bronze medal in the women’s relay Turin 2025 World University Games.
After this moment rich in emotions, they tell about their day Nordic Magazine.
Félicie Chappaz: first torchbearer
“Personally, I was really happy to do this relay with the girls and it was important to me to do something good by giving my all and having fun. I started and was quite surprised because there were quickly three of us in front! I spoke with the girls who were with me at the finish and we weren’t expecting this. We had to get as far ahead as possible so we worked in threes. »
“The Finn was really strong in front, but I fought until the end to reduce the gap with her and I handed over to Manon [Favre Bonvin] with 12 seconds of difference, and with the Japanese. I’m quite happy with my relay even if we didn’t have the best glide! It was so cool. There were lots of French people who came to encourage us, especially my parents. »
“I then went through all the emotions! I was super stressed knowing that we were playing for third place until the last lap… France [Pignot] did a great last lap and that gives us the medal! A relay is won by four and lost by four. There, the four of us won this medal and I am extremely proud of the girls and what they gave. I was so happy that when I arrived, I couldn’t hold back my tears [rires] ! They were tears of happiness. It is a memory engraved forever in our memories. Thanks girls, it was so cool! »
Manon Favre Bonvin: second torchbearer
“I’ve been through all the states! I was a little apprehensive before the start, but above all I was really looking forward to the race because relays are the best races, even more so with friends. I had pretty good feelings during the warm-up. Felicie [Chappaz] had a great race and passed the baton to me in third position with the Japanese, and the Finn was not far in front. »
“We skied a lap together, I felt pretty good, but I felt that the Japanese girl had better skis than me. In the second lap, I wanted to get into his slipstream and the sliding phenomenon caused me to let go… I lost contact and it was a bit complicated even while giving everything I had . I was then taken by acid [lactique] up to his ears for the entire last lap. I completely broke down, I couldn’t feel anything anymore, but I tried not to give up anything for my friends! »
“I’m handing over to Julie [Marciniak] really late and I was angry with myself for having broken down like that… I didn’t even see his relay because I was so exhausted and I couldn’t get up! The girls skied and skated really well until the last Tour de France [Pignot] who let go of the Swiss. So this bronze medal was a relief because I would have been sorry if I finished fourth because of the last lap of my relay. Sharing this with the friends I train with all year round is incredible and it’s not every day you get to experience that. Tears of disappointment turned into tears of joy! »
-Julie Marciniak: third torchbearer
“I went to warm up when Félicie [Chappaz] was leaving and I took a look at what it was like. I saw that she didn’t slide like crazy, but that she was fighting! I couldn’t wait to go, in any position, just to go and do that relay with the girls. »
« Manon [Favre Bonvin] got a little stuck at the end and she passed the baton to me. Something that was so cool was all the French supporters, the biathletes who came and the families! Between us, we also encouraged each other when we saw each other. I was with the Swiss who came third in the individual skate so the goal was not to let her go. On the last lap, I tried to attack, but she took my skis. »
“The relay of France [Pignot]it was stressful, but it ended well! When we saw him arrive and there was no one on skis, that reassured me! We knew it was the only time the four of us were going to do a race together and it gave us a great shared memory that will stay forever. »
France Pignot: fourth torchbearer
“It was crazy to do this relay with the girls I trained with all summer. There was a lot of excitement and anticipation because we knew we had our breakthrough. Personally, I fell ill on the day of the sprint, last Friday… So I spent three days in the hotel doing almost nothing. It paid off and I was in decent shape! »
“I took over with the Swiss for third place. She made a big first turn and I left a few meters so as not to pay for it later. In the end, we stayed 10, 15 seconds apart and, with all the encouragement, I was really able to hurt myself and make my skin until I saw that she was losing lengths. It was only halfway through the last lap! »
“I put everything I had into it, I didn’t look back and it did it. At the end, I saw the girls with smiles and, I didn’t really realize, I was still in my race. I had imagined all the scenarios, including disappointing them, but I couldn’t imagine it. We got this mental medal, it’s a great reward for our teamwork and our summer preparation! »
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