Ludovic Cacheux « Many experienced athletes »
He was in charge of Senior French fighters for the last one year and a half after having taken care of the youngsters from 2008 to 2014. Ludovic Cacheux is back with them as head coach, help by Franck Bisson. The 2008 European champion gives his impressions and expectations on the coming Youth world championships in Jakarta (November 12th–15th).
By Ludovic Mauchien
What do you expect from the youngsters French team ?
It’s hard to have a clear idea. In some categories, I expect confirmations on the real potential of some athletes. With the Under 21 woman team, we can expect good results. Sophia (Bouderbane), Andrea (Brito), Leïla (Heurtault) and Nancy (Garcia) regularly mount the podium for years. Most of the Under 21 athletes are quite experienced.
Concerning the Juniors, it’s mixed. There are some experienced fighters but there are also a bunch of new ones.
And the cadets… What can I say… It’s very complicated ! Pfouh… How can you talk about high level performance at 14 years old ? !
What would be the minimum result that satisfies you ?
We aim at being on the nations’ top 3, like in Guadalajara in 2013. It would be a very nice performance, especially with our summer events. Our preparation has not been optimized. Louis Lacoste (the former head coach of the French team) was fired and some training camps were cancelled. It’s a first time that, in July and August, there is nothing scheduled.
Usually, we start our preparation mid July. This year, we only had one training camp. We really started at the beginning of September. It’s complicated but, as there was an overall project held since one year and a half, we follow most of the athletes for almost 2 years. Concerning the cadet category… What can we expect ? I cannot answer.
The cadet category on the international scene seems to puzzle you, isn’t it ?
They should stop it. They should come back to what it was before, re create the Cadets-Juniors categories at it was on my time : 16 and 17 years old, keep the Under 21 one and put back the team tournament.
It’s impossible to work on a certain logic with cadets. When they can match on international level, they have to change to Juniors. It’s very complicated. Moreover, we have to use a face mask that we don’t use in France.
At this age, there is so much lack of maturity. Sometimes, we are not coach, but teacher. It’s only my point of view but I do think this cadet category is an utopy. For instance, Italy does not bring any of them. It concentrates itself only on Juniors and Under 21 athletes.
It’s for all these reasons that I would like, at least, to mount on the podium. The group own the qualities to do it, with many experienced athletes. In 2013, we ended 3rd nation. In 2011, we were 4th. In 2009, we won the 1st place.
How do you consider this group, compared to former ones ? is it more experienced, more talented ?
It’s difficult to say that it is more talented, because France has talented generations for some years. Those who were part of the young French team before (2009-2011), belongs today to the Senior national team : Recchia, Thouy, Ignace, Agier…
This year, some athletes have a lot of experience. Look at the Under 21. Steven Da Costa is quite fabulous ; his brother Jessie is European champion. Among the girls, we have 3 running European champions.
Do you any injuries and, therefore, some scratchings?
In the Under 21 category, Lou Lebrun, who was 2nd in the last European championship and also 2nd in the Senior team European championship last march, is missing.
His “substitute”, Corentin Seguy, has well trained during the preparation. It’s maybe a nice surprise. I hope so. He performed better than Amin Bouazza (also part of the silver medallist Senior team) on the pre-selection’s tournaments The Luxemburg Open, the German and the Austrian ones.
Among French Juniors, are there some top ranking competitors ?
Yes. Aurore Bourcois, for example, is the running Juniors European champion and she was vice-world champion in Cadet 2 years ago. I can also point up Maxime Relifox, bronze medallist in the European championship.
Mehdi Filali owns a very strong potential. He is really up-and-coming. He is going to attend his 4th international championship. The problem is that, each time, he misses the podium. He always finishes 5th.
Concerning the girls, we can held up Lea Avazeri, twice European champion, or Gwendoline Philippe, 2nd in the Cadet European championship. It’s her 1st tournament in Juniors.
Sabrina Ouihaddadène can also surprise us. She has mounted on all podiums since 4 years. She is now the Number 1 in her category. She just won the Croatian Open and the Adidas Open without taking one point ! Not bad ! But these world championships will be her 1st international championship. It means many uncertainties.
Let’s go back to cadets. Who can you point out ?
One or two of them are above the other ones. First, Kajith Kanagasingam, who is very good. He has a great maturity for his age. He already disputed a finale, in an European championship. He has mounted on every podium since he is 12 years old. It’s a guarantee of good performance.
Kilian Cizo just won the Adidas Open. If he reproduces what he did there, he can look high. He was just very good.
Etienne Haoui is quite good too. He did good on all our preparation’s tournaments : finals in Croatia and Adidas Open, 3rd in Luxemburg.
And, also, why not point up the young Ophelie Chavarot ? She was in all the finals last year in France. She lost against Gwendoline Philippe, who is now in Juniors.
What are the strongest nations in the youngsters categories ?
First of all, Egypt which ended 1st nation in 2013. They play as many finals as we did but they didn’t lose one (9/9). We won only 3.
After, Iran, Japan with their Kata strikeforce– they start with an advantage -, Italy… are to top countries, with France of course. These 5 nations should be the top 5 in Jakarta.