When Fatima Charkaoui received a phone call in January asking her to carry the Olympic flame on July 26, a few hours before the opening of the Games, she initially declined the invitation. “There were rumors that my name had been put forward, but I didn’t believe itshe explains. Then I was called to ask if I was available to carry the flame. I had made association commitments for this period, so I answered no. My interlocutor said to me: “But are you sure? It’s about carrying the Olympic flame, you know?” Several days passed, and then I really became aware of what it meant. I called back and said I was available. »
For the cross-country champion, being one of the last to carry the flame before the opening of the Games, moreover in her department of Seine-Saine-Denis, constitutes tremendous recognition of a life journey that has led to an entire career as an athlete under the colors of the Pierrefitte-sur-Seine Sports Association (AS Pierrefitte) and to becoming professionally involved with the young people of his city.
“Carrying the flame is a source of great prideshe confides. It is a strong symbol which conveys a message of peace and friendship between people. I think I was selected because the city wanted to reward the investment. It’s a gift. For me, it is a step in my career and a sign that I must continue to invest myself in projects for my city and help others. »
Born in Morocco, Fatima Charkaoui arrived in Pierrefitte-sur-Seine at the age of 2. The youngest of five children, she grew up in a house in the Joncherolles district, in the south of the city. “My family didn’t often have the opportunity to go on vacation. I spent my holidays in Sarcelles, at the swimming pool, we went to my cousins. It was a vacation for us because we were changing cities. We were happy”she remembers with a smile on her lips.
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At the age of 14, Fatima had an encounter that would change her life: athletics. It was by climbing onto the podium of the Foulées Pierrefittoises in her age category, from her first participation, that she was noticed by officials of the local club. “I didn’t know anything about athleticsshe says. They took my contact details and called me several times. That’s how I joined the club. I never left. »
However, it was not love at first sight: “At 14, no one likes running for fifteen minutes, doing laps. I liked competing, but not training. » Over time, his relationship with sport has changed. Paradoxically, it was the necessity of regular training that fueled his attachment to athletics: “This sport taught me not to be lazy. If you want to succeed in life, you have to practice. It’s a healthy lifestyle: to achieve your goals you put in place a work plan. That’s what I love about athletics. »
“Closed vision of the neighborhood”
Since her first participation in the French cross-country championships in 2005, she has never missed an edition of the national elite meeting and was vice-champion of France in short team cross-country in 2013 and 2014 with her club, then joining the French youth team. On the track, she won the national junior 1,500m title in 2011, but it was in cross country that she obtained her best results. “I will continue to run for fun until I can’t anymore”she says.
Looking back, the thirty-year-old realizes the importance of athletics in her career: “At 14, you’re lost: doing athletics gave me a framework and a goal. » Sport also allowed him to open up to the world: “I was able to travel, meet new people when I competed. It allowed me to get out of my locked-in vision of the neighborhood. Without sport, I would not have been able to have this openness to the world, which allowed me to change my way of thinking, to have more tolerance towards others. »
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It is because she wants to give back to young Pierrefittois what sport has given her that she has worked as a sports development agent and sports educator since 2016 within AS Pierrefitte, after obtaining her professional certificate in youth, popular education and sport.
At the same time, she is a volunteer within the Fauvettes-Joncherolles Hope Association, which aims to promote the social integration of young people through the implementation of cultural, sporting, educational and academic support activities. Each year, it allows Pierrefittois aged 14 to 18 to go skiing for a week. “It’s a way for me to pass the buck. Today, I am investing in projects that were made for me several years ago”insisted Fatima Charkaoui.
The Olympic flame will pass through Seine-Saint-Denis on July 25 and 26. For the Pierrefittoise, one of whose models is the Moroccan athlete Hicham El Guerrouj, double Olympic champion, over 1,500 m and 5,000 m, in Athens in 2004, seeing the Games held in his department constitutes a source of joy . “Like any athlete, I have always dreamed of competing in the Gamesshe explains. I’m going to take places. But even without that, walking around the Stade de France when there are competitions this summer will give me pleasure. I’m eager to. »
Read also | Lauren Rembi, finally at peace with the Games
In her own way, she will participate doubly in the Games: carrying the flame, she also obtained one of the 20,024 bibs for the Marathon pour tous, a general public running event organized by Paris 2024, which will take place in the evening of August 10. The Olympic flame has not finished burning in the heart of Fatima Charkaoui.
Operation “Playgrounds”
This subject was carried out as part of the “Terrains de Jeux” project, supported by Visa, global partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Until November 2024, eight young people, accompanied by journalists from Monde, tell the story of the Olympic year seen from Seine-Saint-Denis in the form of articles, videos and podcasts. They were identified by the Sport dans la ville association as part of a partnership with Visa whose objective is to promote the professional integration of young people from priority neighborhoods. The writing of the Monde is responsible for the choice of topics and editorial content.
Irina Da Costa-Borgnon
for Fatima Charkaoui, the Olympic flame will burn all summer
“Madrid always believes itself to be the best in Europe”
#Madrid #believes #Europe
The final outcome of the tie between Manchester City and Real Madrid did not sit well with Carragher. The white team went to the semi-finals on penalties, after enduring the siege of City, which put Madrid in their area, but was not able to have great chances to eliminate Ancelotti’s team, which ended up eliminating Guardiola’s team, with a great resistance in defense and after being better in the penalty shootout.
For the former Liverpool player, City was better, but he recognizes that Madrid has something special: “I don’t think Real Madrid is a better team than Manchester City. The team that wins the Champions League is not necessarily the best team in Europe. Real Madrid finds a way to win. Manchester City has been the best team, but there is something special about Real Madrid. They have control over the rival. A mentality, a belief that they are the best in Europe. Real Madrid’s last shot on goal was in the 12th minute. Anyone who has seen this match without knowing the names of the teams would say that it is an absolute mismatch and that Real Madrid is the luckiest.”
Carragher not only thinks that Madrid was not better than City, he also thinks that Bayern was not better than Arsenal: “I don’t think that Bayern Munich is a better team than Arsenal, but we are talking about a team that never won the Champions League. I don’t think Arsenal went into this tie believing they could go through. “I always believed that Bayern Munich would beat Arsenal just because of the mentality, the size of the club and the history of playing in the Champions League.”
Henry defends Madrid
City had many more chances than Madrid to win the game, but the defense of Ancelotti’s team managed to stop them. For Carragher this shows that City is better, but for Henry, a former Barça player, this shows that the white team was the best because defending is also part of the game: “There is something called defending. You can also control the game by defending well. I know people will say City were the better team, but defending is part of the game. Real Madrid defended very well. “I think the best team, the one that defended well, passed.”
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Sport Austria Finals powered by Austrian Lotteries: Preparations and anticipation
– 2024-04-18 13:34:17
The Sport Austria Finals powered by Austrian Lotteries will open in 43 days. After three editions in Graz, the event will take place in Innsbruck.
Vienna/Innsbruck (OTS) – Vienna, House of Sports, Hall of Mirrors. Around six weeks before the opening of the Sport Austria Finals powered by Austrian Lotteries at the forecourt of the Landestheater Innsbruck, Sports Minister and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler, Erwin van Lambaart (General Director of Austrian Lotteries), Cathryn Binder-Taisser (Decathlon Austria) and four athletes spoke alongside Sport Austria President Hans Niessl about the upcoming major event.
“We have to look back: something special has emerged in the last three years after the pandemic; the Sport Austria Finals have grown in a very short time. I was impressed by the variety of sports in Graz, now I’m off to Innsbruck. There is a great Olympic tradition there, which fits with the finals, which are often referred to as the national Olympic Games,” emphasized Sports Minister and Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler.
Sport Austria President Hans Niessl is confident about the fourth edition: “Sports fans can look forward to great Sport Austria Finals powered by Austrian Lotteries, which are very well prepared on site. We feel that we are welcome in Innsbruck and all of Tyrol and we feel that the finals have become the largest multi-sport event in Austria. The organization is in full swing, the finals are being talked about on every corner in Innsbruck. That’s a good sign, a lot of people want to be there.”
Not only is the venue new this year, the concept has also been slightly adapted. 32 associations determine their (state) champions in 44 sports at 25 sports venues. The presenting partner is also new: the Austrian Lotteries, the largest funding provider for Austrian sport, was won over. “It is well known that we live responsibility. We are there for Austria when it comes to culture, but also when it comes to sport. It seemed logical to us to support the finals. “This is a huge event that was built in just a few years,” says Erwin van Lambaart, General Director of the Austrian Lotteries.
With luge and ski bobsleigh on Bergisel, the Austrian state climbing championships in lead climbing and speed in the Innsbruck climbing center or the archery competitions in the Tivoli Stadium, numerous spectacular sports venues await fans. Combined with the impressive mountain backdrop in and around Innsbruck, the Sport Austria Finals powered by Austrian Lotteries will set new standards this year. The whole of Tyrol should live and experience the largest championship party in the country: from wakeboarding in Area 47 to the sailing competitions on Lake Achensee.
In addition to precise planning and long-term preparation, the implementation of such a major event requires many helping hands. The approximately 300 volunteers are equipped by Decathlon Austria. “More than 40 sports are taking part in the finals, we have products for over 70 sports, that fits together very well. We want to make emotions tangible, which is exactly what happens at this great event. Plus, just like the finals, we’ve grown over the last few years. We opened the first branch in Austria in 2018, we now have five locations and have been able to write numerous success stories,” says Cathryn Binder-Taisser from Decathlon Austria.
While the preparations are in full swing, the anticipation among the athletes is increasing. Taekwondoin Marlene Jahl was already at the finals last year and is aggressive after narrowly missing out on Olympic qualification: “Taekwondo has already benefited from the Sport Austria Finals, the event is a huge stage for us. Taekwondo is very important in Innsbruck, we are in a super cool location there. Unfortunately I’ll miss the Olympic Games, but there are still two highlights this year with the European Championships and the finals.”
Disc golfer Stanislaus Amann is looking forward to the competition. Spectacular pictures are guaranteed, disc golf takes place in the finish area of the Nordic Arena in Seefeld. “The anticipation is huge, the whole community is excited about the competition. There are some contenders for the title, but for me the only thing that counts is victory.”
Cheerleading has been a great enrichment in Graz over the last three years and impressed with spectacular shows and full ranks. “Cheerleading has received more attention in recent years, which makes us all very happy,” says Nina Ringl from the Danube Dragons. “We are still missing the national championship title, maybe we can do that at the Sport Austria Finals.”
Softball player Chiara Voglsam was able to win the slowpitch title with the Witches & Bandits in all three previous editions. Graz was a good place, things should be similar in Innsbruck: “The finals are very important to us. Our sport is particularly characterized by the family atmosphere and the joy of sport.”
About the Sport Austria Finals:
The Sport Austria Finals were launched in 2020. After three successful editions in Graz, the multi-sport event with state championships in more than 25 sports is moving to Innsbruck. At the Sport Austria Finals powered by Austrian Lotteries, around 6,500 athletes from 31 associations will determine their best and thus the Austrian national champions in 250 medal decisions on four days of competition (May 29th to June 2nd, 2024). There will also be an opening ceremony, joint winners’ ceremonies and a diverse supporting program with sport and culture – and all of this with free entry for all Innsbruck residents, Tyroleans and the many finals visitors from all over Austria.
Questions & Contact:
Matthias Nemetz
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+43 650 9191929
#Sport #Austria #Finals #powered #Austrian #Lotteries #Preparations #anticipation
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