One year from the Paris Olympics 2024. Antoine Dupont with France 7: “It would be magical to play with him”

in year exactly Rugby events will begin As part of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Wednesday, July 24, 2024The French will compete to play the first two pool games.

The competition will be held over three days: the 24th and 25th and the final on Saturday, July 27th. Sensations, in preparation for the Olympic date, the participation of Antoine Dupont … Jonathan Luglethe most capped player of the French Rugby 7s team Rugby News Exclusive interview one year before the Olympic Games.

News: Exactly one year before the Olympic rugby sevens start, what state of mind are you in?

Jonathan Lugle: I can’t wait I’m so excited. The Olympic Games will be a great team challenge. We had a very good year finishing fourth in the Rugby Seven World Championship of 2023. And concretely, we have the goal of winning a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. We have even more confidence in our ability to do that with the 2023 season that we just completed.

The goal is to win a medal at the Olympics. But what color?

JL: Honestly, we want the gold medal. It is a dream that is no longer a utopia. We know we can do it. Today, we achieved very good results over the past season. We shook and beat the vast majority of teams. You must all be at the top level at the same time to win at least one tournament before the Olympics and win the Olympic tournament.

I wonder about the end of my career. We’ll see how things develop. I still have a year to think about it. So it’s under consideration… (laughs)

Other than your results this year, what boosts your confidence?

JL: We know our level. We’re starting to dismantle the fears we might have had against the big teams. We are in the process of understanding and accepting our status as a great team. A few months ago, when we were playing against New Zealand, we went on the field against this great team, and we said to ourselves we are playing against the blacks. Recently we have had a turning point. Quite frankly, the way New Zealanders look at us has changed and our view of them has completely evolved. We go to the field today thinking we can beat the blacks. And that changes everything!

I experienced not qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics as a “dream meltdown”. Paris 2024 will be a real revenge…

JL: It is necessary to take revenge. But today the Tokyo pill is gone. Now, for Paris 2024, what fuels me is making a mark. The whole world must believe that the France team was successful and won a medal in these Olympic Games. My motivation is to leave a really strong legacy on the French Olympic scene by helping to put the French Rugby 7s team to the top level.

Will the 2024 Paris Olympic Games be your last competition with the French rugby 7 team?

JL: I wonder about the end of my career. We’ll see how things develop. I still have a year to think about it. So it’s under consideration… (laughs)

Antoine Dupont will help the team to be more advanced with his experience and vision of the game.

How will you prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics?

JL: We’ll have a lot of interest that will be set at the end of 2023. We’ll go on a pre-season camp in Fiji, the land of the Olympic champions to build on their strength to be good in the tournament. We’ll have some time to train with them for a few weeks. Then we will have the tournament with the goal of winning at least one gold medal in one of the stages of the World Championships to give us more confidence as the Olympics approach. This will be a big challenge for us next year.

Antoine Dupont, the first half of France’s 15th World Cup, can participate in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with the French rugby team at seven o’clock. how do you feel?

JL: This is an element that is part of the enthusiasm we feel for the Olympic Games. It will be a very magical and powerful experience to be able to play with Antoine Dupont, the best player in the world of rugby union. The decision is not ours. For our part, we must welcome it and put it in the best possible conditions so that it can be as effective as possible. As a player, this is the best you can do.

What could Antoine Dupont bring to France’s rugby 7 team?

JL: His vision of the game and he excels in this field. I am convinced that his speed in executing various movements is due to his ability to locate details on the ground. In rugby 7, with the speed of play, being able to be one step ahead of the opponent is very important. Antoine Dupont will help the team to be more advanced with his experience and vision of the game, he is a real strength and tangible contribution.

What memories do you have of the Rio 2016 Olympics and the first Rugby 7 events in history?

JL: It is associated with the opening ceremony. In the Olympic Village, I remember all the French athletes gathered to go to the Maracanã. We took the bus and I loved seeing us all in the same jacket and uniform. We were the same team as France United. I remember dressing up as Tony Parker or Teddy Renner. The unit was really strong outside of our majors. Then there was the enormity of the stadium, and the proximity to the other athletes. Big moment!

And mathematically?

JL: I remember the first game against Australia, the few seconds before we entered the stadium. In the corridor the person handling the management is counting down and it’s just a solid adrenaline rush. Finally, you will be in the Olympics when you set foot on the field. A lot of things can happen before you actually get out there and do them. When the moment comes and you become an Olympian, it’s a very strong feeling.

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