An endless liberating howl followed his success. Saturday March 23, French swordsman Romain Cannone won the World Cup stage in Tbilisi (Georgia), beating the Belgian Neisser Loyola (15-10) in the final. The first world success for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic champion since his title as world champion in Cairo (Egypt), in the summer of 2022. And above all a salutary victory just a stone’s throw from the Paris 2024 Olympics, while the tricolor sword – usually the spearhead of French fencing – has been going through a deep crisis for months.
Romain Cannone is one of the spearheads of the revolt against the now ex-general manager of the French men’s epee, Hugues Obry, who left his post last month. A resignation against a backdrop of disagreement between the technician and several athletes, while remaining in technical supervision.
Accompanied by Alexandre Bardenet, semi-finalist in Georgia on Saturday, and Yannick Borel, beaten in the quarter-final, the reigning Olympic champion denounced a change last week ” insufficient ” to put the tricolor sword back on its feet. “We are going straight into the wall, criticized Romain Cannone in The Team in the company of the two swordsmen. We cannot continue like this with Hugues in the Olympic project and a national technical director committed to his cause. »
Qualification for the Olympics acquired for Cannone
On the track, “Pano” – the nickname, taken from Peter Pan, which he inherited when he started in the France group – demonstrated his usual panoply: touches on the foot and glove, which have become trademarks, and dodges in all genres. By winning on Saturday in Tbilisi, the final World Cup stage set to decide between the French swordsmen, the Frenchman takes a big step forward in the race for selection for the Paris Olympic Games.
But to be certain of being able to claim to defend at home the title acquired almost to everyone’s surprise in 2021, he will have to wait until mid-May and the announcement of the French selection, which will include three swordsmen plus a replacement for the team event. . In 2021, replacing one month before the Games and 47e world, he only owed his selection to the sidelining of a shooter due to a positive test for a diuretic.
Best French on Saturday, and well established in the world top 10, Alexandre Bardenet and Yannick Borel can hope to accompany their rebellious musketeer companion in Paris 2024. It is difficult to imagine them being sidelined by the selection commission in May, unless we see French fencing sinks further into crisis. Sunday, the team tournament in Tbilisi could allow the French to turn the page on the conflict Obry, who did not make the trip to Georgia, but remains in the team management, to supervise the youngest.
“Updated March 23 at 11:59 p.m.: rectification of an error on the selection process and schedule for the Paris Olympic Games. »