Chloé Trespeuch, In Search of Crystal

Double Olympic snowboard cross medalist Chloé Trespeuch has been wearing the World Cup leader’s yellow bib since December. He is heading down the slopes this year with the goal of lifting the crystal globe and competing at the World Championships in Georgia in March.

On December 16, 2022, Chloé Trespeuch in blue does chained flips and jumps without ever giving way to the day’s three competitors. She flashes a big smile before embracing her teammate Manon Petit-Lenoire from the second-placed French team. Tricolor thinning over the skies of Cervinia, Italy, where the second stage of the Snowboardcross World Cup is being held.

Since the beginning of the season, the 28-year-old snowboarder has announced that he wants to take the place in the general classification, where he took 3rd place last year, and win. From the first stage in Deux-Alpes, the tone was set in early December. He takes the money. And at the same time, the 27th podium for a total of 3 career victories. “I often miss a little detail, something extra, maybe mentally, to go through the effort. », then asks. Going to his first win of the season in Italy, he may have finally found the click. He now glides with the leader’s yellow uniform and spirit of conquest on his back. His quest for the crystal continues.

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Women should be given freedom of choice.

The Frenchwoman won bronze at the 2014 Olympics at just 20 years old, then moved up a notch and won silver in Beijing 2022. Between the two, the champion gained maturity and experience. “In 2014, the post-Olympic season was difficult. I was young, I felt expected, and I put pressure on myself to confirm in 2018. In 2022, I worked on mental preparation. Once I realized that I could get away with failure, I went there more comfortably », he admits a year later. Chloé remains steadfast in her support of Trespeuch if there is a result. As his journey testifies, nothing is ever certain. ” Each competition is a new beginning without preconceived notions, counters are reset. We all have a new chance.» A snowboarder is a competitor at heart, he overcomes challenges. ” I’m never very good at training because there’s nothing at stake. I can only surpass myself in competition »smiles the admitted FDJ Sport Factory athlete ” dislike routine ».

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Chloé Trespeuch grew up in Val Thorens, where her father and brother were snowboarders. He admires Karine Rubi, the first Olympic snowboard champion in Nagano in 1998, and her 67 World Cup medals. The track appears to be all tracked. When asked what he likes about his sport, he answers: ” Being on a 4v4 course, going head-to-head with the enemies right next to it… I find it very exciting!” He confirms his words by referring to the mixture of sensations: “Ladrenaline, speed, turns, jumps » A sport he wants to share and popularize ” bring him out of the shadows », he says. And since it’s mixed (same races, same prize money for men and women), she hopes to see younger girls follow in her footsteps. “Women should be given freedom of choice. Those who want to do a beautiful, artistic sport do, and those who want to do a more violent sport like snowboarding shouldn’t be hindered by society’s expectations.», he argues.

Trail running, skiing, hiking, tennis… He tries all kinds of sports, with a particular interest in outdoor exercisers. The mountain remains its landmark. Chloé Trespeuch finds it hard to see the snow that blankets her in winter disappearing under the influence of global warming. ” When you do mountain sports, you are more aware of change. Year after year we see the glaciers visibly melting. It makes you want to do more.” . The FDJ Sports Factory athlete got involved by creating an association called Ecoglobe with his family to raise awareness about environmental protection. If he knows himself “far from perfect»Chloé Trespeuch says she regularly gets on a plane to go to the places where she competes. ” small everyday gestures ». “As an athlete, we have a little bit of fame, so we can try to give positive messages about the environment to have more collective action.» For a young woman who recently resumed her undergraduate studies at Sciences Po Paris in a program dedicated to high-level athletes with which FDJ is a partner, ecology can be a gateway to retraining. While waiting for a new turn, he races down the slopes at full speed, motivated by the desire to win the Cortina d’Ampezzo Games in 2026 and (eventually) Olympic gold.

Interview by Marie Thimonnier

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