The final countdown to the Games is on. How is Team Belgium’s preparation going?
Jean-Michel Saive: “We can be satisfied with the way things are looking even if these last few weeks, with the falls in cycling, the injury to Julie Allemand in basketball and the illness which struck Julien Watrin, have not brought only good things. news. But as we speak, we have 99 qualified athletes, our chef de mission's projections are between 150 and 160 athletes, which is great compared to Tokyo where we were at 120. There is still a whole series of athletes who must qualify and we hope not to have any major problems. In terms of preparation, everything continues to fall into place well. We have already been to Paris several times, notably to the Olympic village, and everything is looking good.”
What will our ambitions be this summer?
J.-MS: “Do better than in Tokyo (Editor’s note: 7 medals and 26 top 8 places). We don't know how to be more precise than that. But that’s the ambition.”
Projections from a famous statistics office show 10 medals. Is this a reasonable goal?
J.-MS: “Yes and no. When we see what has just happened, it's difficult to say. So we stick to what we said from the start. The program is not yet defined, we do not know who will be there at the time of the final selection. Giving a figure today wouldn’t make much sense.”
Will the majority of our athletes prepare in Belgium?
J.-MS: “Yes, from July 1, in our different base camps structured around three clusters in Antwerp, Brussels/Louvain-la-Neuve and Ghent. And more specifically in other places, depending on the qualified athletes or sports. In Francorchamps, there will ultimately be nothing: the cyclists will mostly be on their international circuit and those who train will be able to find themselves in Zolder.”
We have no doubt that the enthusiasm will be there.
We do not yet have the impression that the Games are already “living” among the population. Are we wrong?
Pierre-Yves Jeholet: “This is probably true in relation to the sporting agenda today, but we still sense a craze. It is the most important global sporting event and I remain convinced that there will be a lot of interest. What is holding back, in my opinion, are two things. The security aspect: we clearly feel that we are in a difficult context, but we must continue to defend fundamental values and France is right to be ambitious. Then, there is a bit of a downer: the French still have the art of being very critical, in terms of mobility, security, etc. Once they are in the event, we will talk about the competition, the athletes.”
J.-MS: “It is normal that more than 100 days before the Games, there is not yet great popular fervor. In France, in terms of television, things are rising crescendo. At D-100, it's a good reminder. And then there are so many sporting events throughout the year, we are in the middle of the cycling season. But we have no doubt that it will come.”
J.-MS: “Yes, in terms of ticketing, we are one of the countries with the highest demand worldwide. Brussels is closer to Paris than Bordeaux or Marseille, so there is a big demand! On site, we will be able to welcome people to the Lotto Belgium House, located on avenue Hoche, and experience the performances from the inside on a giant screen, and celebrate with the athletes. Finally, let’s not forget that cycling, marathons and triathlons are events open to those who do not have tickets.”
P.-YJ: “Having the Games in France, very close to home, and experiencing the event is a unique opportunity.”
J.-MS: “I think there is a gap with the media hype which has not necessarily started yet but when you talk about it with people, everyone is well aware of the imminence of the Games.”
Can this proximity generate additional pressure for our athletes?
J.-MS: “This proximity is fantastic and positive, but we must indeed be vigilant. We must also protect athletes in the home stretch. If the competition goes less well than expected, it will also be more complicated. But as Tony Estanguet says, the Games are once every 100 years in Paris.”
For our athletes, it is stimulating to know that the Belgians will come en masse: they will almost play at home!
To what extent will this event reflect on Belgium and to what extent will we try to appropriate a small part of it?
P.-YJ: “First of all, we don't have the opportunity every day to attend the Olympic Games, and their variety of disciplines, and there are still opportunities for sports fans to go there. For our athletes, it is also stimulating to know that the Belgians will be able to come en masse: they will almost play at home! I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Jean-Mi and Cédric Van Branteghem, as well as their entire team, for their remarkable work. They are hyper-federal, I hear it everywhere in the federations. “
What impact can such an event have on professional sport on the one hand and local sport on the other?
P.-YJ: “At the Games, we always talk about Belgian athletes and Belgian medals, and that's fine. Sport is unifying and we are as happy about a medal from a Flemish cyclist as from a French-speaking athlete. Such a high-profile event is always good for all disciplines. Whether they are well-known sports, where we perform like hockey, or others less known like combat sports. This can arouse envy among young people. We have also developed projects around the Games in our local sports centers. We must not oppose sport for all, a very important vector of social inclusion, to high-level sport, which acts like a locomotive. We are trying to develop strategies, to see how we can further professionalize the federations and to ensure that we have not ten medals but more. The objective is to perform – because that arouses pride, emotion, desire – but also to ensure that we have more practitioners in all disciplines tomorrow. That’s the goal.”
We must be aware of the financial reality of public authorities.
High-level sport nourishes sport for all and vice versa?
P.-YJ: “I'm convinced ! My goal, as Minister of Sports, is to say: we must ensure that citizens, young and old, practice sport. And this is essential in an increasingly idle, sedentary society. And also in terms of public health and health costs. However, to achieve this overall objective, we need high-level athletes and also an ambitious high-level sports policy. Efforts have been made but there is still work to be done, in particular by providing financial resources for additional contracts and for executive training. This also involves the professionalization of federations where, in certain cases, it is complicated.”
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Budgetarily, what can we hope for?
P.-YJ: “We have increased the sports budget considerably under this legislature. We are talking about an envelope of 14 million euros, I am convinced that it is more. When we look at everything that is dedicated to the high level, to the professionalization of federations, to talent detection and training strategies, it is also an investment. Flanders focuses more on certain disciplines than on the French-speaking side. A reflection is underway and will be refined after the Games to see if we need to adapt our strategy. Will we be able to significantly increase resources for sport tomorrow? I'm not going to make that promise even though I would love to. We must be aware of the financial reality of public authorities. It’s also a question of priorities. It may be naive to say that, but when I see what health problems cost, I say to myself that if the federal government invested more in health prevention and therefore in sport, perhaps we would could do something else. But today the federated entities do not have the capacities.”
What is Belgium missing to become a high-level sporting country?
J.-MS: “Honestly, I think it's changing. Like the sporting results of our athletes, their assumed ambitions. The mindset has changed. As a people, we are also proud. As the minister said, athletes are truly ambassadors of sporting activity as a whole. By assuming our ambitions, by achieving results, we erase our complexes as a small country. It’s up to us to work together to raise our athletes as high as possible and, in turn, to promote health.”
P.-YJ: “We are perhaps not even chauvinistic enough, not proud enough! Look at all the countries who envy our hockey players, our cyclists, or Nafi Thiam who will fight for a third gold medal. And I would be remiss if I forgot the exceptional performances of our Paralympic athletes: we have great ambassadors.”
