RUSSIA: SOCHI 2014: France celebrate claiming a clean sweep in the men's freestyle skiing cross at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games

Record ID: 564921

  • Title: RUSSIA: SOCHI 2014: France celebrate claiming a clean sweep in the men's freestyle skiing cross at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games
  • Date: 20th February 2014
  • Summary: AUDIENCE WATCHING CHAPUIS VARIOUS OF MEDALLISTS ON PODIUM
  • Embargoed: 7th March 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA1MYXN81435OZ4HSRUPRWDY294
  • Story Text: "All for one, one for all" was the motto of the Three Musketeers, but for the Frenchmen who won all three medals in Olympic ski cross on Thursday (February 20) the individual definitely takes precedence over the collective.
    Jean Frederic Chapuis, who won gold, silver medallist Arnaud Bovolenta and Midol formed a "new generation" for France after the Vancouver Games, set on qualifying for Sochi while remaining close friends and partying together.
    On Thursday they achieved "perfection", according to Chapuis, with their sweep of the podium in the four-man freestyle final.
    "Before the final I see the two other French guys and we were in the tent and we were just joking like it's done, and after the final, I cross the line and I look behind and I see the other two French guys, I were so happy for them because they are really good friends and I don't find the words to describe it, it's so amazing," Chapuis said.
    Had things gone to plan Chapuis might have been getting off at the cable car's next stop this past fortnight, at Sochi's Alpine skiing centre. But his hopes of making it as an Olympian in skiing's traditional events never quite worked out.
    In 2010 he met France's ski cross coach Michel Lucatelli, another frustrated Alpine ski racer. After taking a while to get up to speed, Chapuis is now the world and Olympic champion.
    France's storming of the men's ski cross podium follows two French medals in the Alpine men's giant slalom the previous day and took the nation's medal total to 14, their best tally at a Winter Games.
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