1 August 2008 - Romain GIROUILLE (FRA): “The Olympic spirit means exchange, joy and friendship!”

Romain GIROUILLE (FRA): “The Olympic spirit means exchange, joy and friendship!” August 2008   I qualified for the Olympics by winning the Continental Tournament, which took place during the European Championships in Vittel (France). When the competition started, I felt a lack of confidence, even if I did shoot 114/120 for my first match. Then, I was not tense, but I had to fight the wind. The most important thing for me was to stay lucid, which I had been working on with my coach Marc Dellenbach. Deep inside, my first goal was to qualify for the Olympics, and I was really focused on this, thinking I could not fail.   From an archery preparation point of view, I have re-started a cycle with a huge volume of arrows before the World Cup in Boe. Then, I will shoot fewer arrows during the month of July. Physically, I am doing both weightlifting and increasing my aerobic training. I am also preparing mentally—we are working on a new programme to improve the management of my emotions while competing.   I think that going to the Olympics with a good world ranking after three World Cups so far this year could destabilize my opponents. However, I would prefer not to count on this because the one who will win the gold medal will be the best shooter that day. I am familiar with the Olympic Archery field, since I competed in the Good Luck Beijing Test Event. Actually, it is a rather good advantage to experience the Olympic facilities one year before the “real” competition starts.   I will compete for the first time at the Olympic Games. I am pretty sure this will be an unforgettable experience regarding the relationships between the nations, the sports and the athletes. I also think the Olympic spirit means exchange, joy and friendship! Read my biography... Romain Girouille (FRA)