Saturday, August 10, 2024. A scream echoes through the corridors of the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines outside Paris. Mathilde Gros has just been eliminated from the individual sprint event. “At that moment I told myself it wasn’t possible, that the pain would never go away,” recalled the French athlete, who had claimed the world title in the event in 2022. Two days earlier, the track cyclist had already failed to reach the Keirin final. As happened in Tokyo in 2021, she left the Olympic Games full of regret and without a medal. “Something broke inside me, even though I had dreamed of this competition for years.” In other words, ever since Paris was officially named host city in September 2017.
In front of a home crowd, the French delegation earned 64 medals – their highest total since the 1900 Games. But heartbreak was inevitable for Gros and so many others on the team. Many athletes had to cope with unprecedented pressure, then a sudden media silence as cameras turned to the smiles on the podium.
“There is disappointment in that moment, but you have to make sure not to bring down the mood of the team, to keep the sadness for [your] room and be in good spirits at mealtimes,” recounted triathlete Dorian Coninx, who finished 27th in the individual race less than a year after being crowned world champion. The athlete from southeastern France did not have the luxury of leaving the capital after his disappointment. He had to stay ready in case he was called on to replace a member of the mixed relay team. “I didn’t think about it, I just followed the others at training on autopilot. Those were five tough days.”
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