On the Way to Olympics
On the road to Sochi: Jason Lamy-Chappuis
Jason Lamy-Chappuis is an Olympic champion, four-time World Champion, triple overall FIS Nordic Combined World Cup winner and Sochi 2014 flag bearer for the French Olympic team. The 27-year-old has achieved what most other people only dream of. FIS interviewed the Frenchman before the Olympic season.
How did you react to being named flag-bearer for the French Olympic team for Sochi?
There was a big presentation on 14th October in Paris with all the athletes from winter sports federations. The Sports Minister and a lot of other Olympic champions were there. We were three athletes on a short list – figure skater Brian Joubert and ski cross star Ophélie David and myself –. It was a stressful waiting until they opened the envelope... with my name on it! It was a great honour not only for me but also for Nordic Combined. The next two or three days entailed a lot of media attention, so I gave many interviews next to my training.
Does winning three gold medals at the previous FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Italy’s Val di Fiemme take some of the pressure off?
There is always more pressure in an Olympic season. It takes place only once every four years, and it's a big goal in an athlete’s career because it's such a global event. It certainly helps to know that I've already been successful in important events. I know how to be ready physically and mentally, but anything can happen in a one-day competition and a lot of athletes can claim a medal.
Why, in your opinion, do you have a good chance to take another gold medal in Sochi?
I like competitions with a lot of pressure. The most important thing is to use the pressure positively. What I do is stay really focused on what I have to do. I try to give my best and only watch the results after that. If anyone was better that day but I still have given my best, I have no regrets.
With the facilities in the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup stage Chaux-Neuve newly equipped for summer jumping, has your training improved?
The summer equipment in Chaux-Neuve made it a lot easier for us to train in our home country. We were able to stay home more often and jump on a more regular basis. We also jumped on an ice track an entire month before leaving for training in Scandinavia. That helped a lot too.
How will you spend the rest of your time until the season starts?
Currently, we are in Lillehammer, Norway. Unfortunately, the hill is not ready yet but we have good skiing conditions in Sjusjøen. We will stay here until the 26th of November and then leave directly for the World Cup Opening in Finland’s Kuusamo. I hope we will be able to jump a couple of sessions before Kuusamo because it would be hard to do our first jumps on snow directly on Kuusamo's big hill.
Source: the official FIS site
How did you react to being named flag-bearer for the French Olympic team for Sochi?
There was a big presentation on 14th October in Paris with all the athletes from winter sports federations. The Sports Minister and a lot of other Olympic champions were there. We were three athletes on a short list – figure skater Brian Joubert and ski cross star Ophélie David and myself –. It was a stressful waiting until they opened the envelope... with my name on it! It was a great honour not only for me but also for Nordic Combined. The next two or three days entailed a lot of media attention, so I gave many interviews next to my training.
Does winning three gold medals at the previous FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Italy’s Val di Fiemme take some of the pressure off?
There is always more pressure in an Olympic season. It takes place only once every four years, and it's a big goal in an athlete’s career because it's such a global event. It certainly helps to know that I've already been successful in important events. I know how to be ready physically and mentally, but anything can happen in a one-day competition and a lot of athletes can claim a medal.
Why, in your opinion, do you have a good chance to take another gold medal in Sochi?
I like competitions with a lot of pressure. The most important thing is to use the pressure positively. What I do is stay really focused on what I have to do. I try to give my best and only watch the results after that. If anyone was better that day but I still have given my best, I have no regrets.
With the facilities in the FIS Nordic Combined World Cup stage Chaux-Neuve newly equipped for summer jumping, has your training improved?
The summer equipment in Chaux-Neuve made it a lot easier for us to train in our home country. We were able to stay home more often and jump on a more regular basis. We also jumped on an ice track an entire month before leaving for training in Scandinavia. That helped a lot too.
How will you spend the rest of your time until the season starts?
Currently, we are in Lillehammer, Norway. Unfortunately, the hill is not ready yet but we have good skiing conditions in Sjusjøen. We will stay here until the 26th of November and then leave directly for the World Cup Opening in Finland’s Kuusamo. I hope we will be able to jump a couple of sessions before Kuusamo because it would be hard to do our first jumps on snow directly on Kuusamo's big hill.
Source: the official FIS site
