11 Athletes from the 3 Valleys to the Olympics
Some serious medal contenders going to Korea
2018 is an Olympic year, a winter Olympic year to be precise. The 3 valleys is a huge and diverse ski area. The eleven athletes going to the Games will be competing in an equally diverse range of events.
Eleven 3 Valleys locals will be representing France in Korea next week. Here's a quick rundown of who they are and what they do. So, if you are in the 3 Valleys during the Olympics, you'll know what the fuss is about and if you're watching, give these locals some support!
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Courchevel
Alexis Pinturault - Alpine skiing
This highly decorated and talented skier has been a mainstay at the top of the World Cup leaderboards for the last few years. Having come 3rd in the overall World Cup standings 3 years running, he’s currently in 5th place for the 2018 season and with an Olympic bronze medal already in the bag, Alexis looks to have a long and successful career ahead of him.
Léa Lemare - Ski Jumping
Lea has been competing for France in the Ski Jumping World Cup since 2011. Her best result was 1st place in 2013 at the Ljubno World Cup.
Lucile Mourat - Ski Jumping
16-year-old Lucile has started her ski jumping career with a bang, getting a 6th place finish at a World Cup event in her first season. She also managed a 3rd place at her first ever team World Cup event.
Jonathan Learoyd - Ski Jumping
Another young talent, Jonathan started competing in the World Cup last season after a run of high finishes in the lower leagues.
Taïna Barioz - Alpine Skiing
Born in snowless Tahiti, she now skis out of Courchevel. This Slalom and Giant Slalom specialist has been skiing in the world cup since 2006.
Anne-Sophie Barthet - Alpine Skiing
Part of an elite mountain unit of the French army, Anne-Sophie has already competed in three Olympic games for France. Her best finish was 14th in the Giant Slalom at the Sochi games.
Meribel
Thomas Krief - Ski Halfpipe
This freestyle skier has been steadily working his way up the leaderboards for the last few seasons. He’s already competed at the Olympic, but it’s his victory at a recent World Cup event in China that makes him one to watch.
Sacha Theocharis - Moguls
Shacha has been competing regularly on the World Cup circuit since 2012. His podium finish at a World Cup last season cemented his place on the Olympic team.
Val Thorens
Adrien Theaux - Alpine Skiing
Going to his third Olympics, Adrien has been competing at the highest level for 13 seasons, Highlights include 3 Downhill wins and an 11th place finish in the overall standings.
Chloé Trespeuch - Snowboard Cross
Chloé will be going to her second Olympic Games, where she hopes to improve on her bronze medal from Sochi. With a number of podium positions recently there’s a real possibility that she’ll be bringing home more medals.
Lou Barin - Ski Slopestyle
Starting out on the competition scene in 2014, Lou quickly gained recognition as a top talent. She took home a silver medal at the youth Olympics in 2016 and has since been performing consistently well in World Cup events.
The 2018 Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics run from the 9th February to the 25th February. Athletes from 92 countries will be competing in 102 medal events, in 15 different disciplines. The events will be held across 15 different venues, ice events will largely take place in the coastal city of Gangneung while mountain events will take place further inland in the Pyeong Chang district itself.
A full schedule of events can be seen here.
