After three months of quiet, Jean-Baptiste Grange, the relaxed and affable Savoyard, finally broke his silence. In an interview with Dauphine Libéré, he spoke about his recovery that continues at Hauteville, the Vancouver Games, the season for the French team and his ambitions for the fall.
Jean-Baptiste, how is your recovery from your knee injury in December?
"Pretty good. I will now return to Hauteville before further two sessions in Boulouris in April and May. It was a difficult operation. My knee was swollen for the first fifteen days, I had terrible pains for the first three days; a horror. I have taken this injury as a chance, a positive break to breath after three years during which I was very busy being a little lonely as a team leader. "
With the exception of the Inside Sports show on Canal+ that filmed a documentary about you and Julien Lizeroux, you have chosen to remain silent this winter, why?
"It caused a bit of discussion with Canal+ but I had committed myself until 6th January and I got hurt back in December. I felt obligated. Then I chose to treat everyone the same. If I had picked up my cell phone, I would have been asked to comment each weekend on all the results of Sandrine Aubert, Julien Lizeroux, on the lack of medals at the Games etc. I wanted to think of myself. I prefer to be a topic when I'm skiing and winning, not to comment or gossip on other people. Most journalists and my sponsors understand that."
At the end of this season, how would you rate the results of the French team?
'With 16 podium finishes, four wins, two skiers who were in the running for a globe, the French team is in good shape. At this point perhaps it lacked some experience at Vancouver with 18 out of 22 skiers at their first Games. There were some mistakes in the analysis done by the journalists who set the expectations based on the successful World Cup results, but also by the officials and racers. We saw some teams that isolated themselves away from the crowds in the Village to prepare for the Games. These are just some ideas to explore. But since we did not win a medal, we cannot say that all is well. The Games are not an event like any other, so you have to be put yourself in the right mental state. To trivialize this event may have been a way to protect yourself... "
Didn't the confinement of the Technical Group add to the pressure?
"Although the girls got there with Sandrine Aubert, we must realize that the Technical Group is the flagship. Together with Julian, we were confronted with the problem of managing the media and logistics. That may have overwhelmed us a bit and we confined the system. We can adjust two or three smaller things, and have now gained some experience, the staff and the FFS alike. For the communication side of it, I will manage it more, take more decisions. I want it to be more customized with regard to me and with regard to Julien (Lizeroux) or Sandrine (Aubert)."
What are your objectives for your comeback in October?
"Having gotten injured while ranked #1 in slalom in the world is an advantage. I'll have some expectations in all three events (slalom, giant slalom and super combined). But I will proceed at my own pace, listening to my knee without clear goals in terms of results. I am thinking of skipping Chile and the speed week in September to concentrate on the technique. It may be necessary to accept finishing 5th or 6th in slalom at the beginning."
Are you in favor of changes to the staff similar to those in countries like Canada or Austria?
(reflects). "I refrained a bit and I want to think about myself, my knee ... I will not be training as part of the team at the end of this season but I'll keep an eye on what is happening because my interests and those of the group are at stake. The Technical Group is working very well, there's experience. It is up to the coaches to judge whether adjustments are needed. "
Interview by Laurent Davier, SKI CHRONO / LE DAUPHINE LIBERE
Original article can be found here.
