Staying grounded: How French modern pentathlete Elodie Clouvel is preparing for a whirlwind Paris 2024
In an interview for Olympics.com, the Rio 2016 silver medallist lifted the lid on why mental sharpness will be key to delivering for the home crowds at Paris 2024.
Thousands of waving flags, cheers sounding out, and the immense weight of pressure bearing down: for Olympic athletes taking part in a home Games the experience is unlike any other.
The challenge of competing against the best in the world is intensified by the expectations of an eager audience awaiting results. It can be exhilarating and overwhelming all at once.
Star French modern pentathlete Elodie Clouvel will be among the select few a hopeful home crowd at Paris 2024 will be looking towards for success, and the 34-year-old Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist is not taking their assumptions lightly.
Embracing the reality of an Olympics at home, where she will be centre of attention, is at the heart of Clouvel's preparations for the Games.
“There is a lot of work I am doing beforehand behind the scenes to manage all the pressures that will be around because an Olympic Games at home is an uphill battle,” the modern pentathlete told Olympics.com in an interview.
“It is a dream for every athlete to have an Olympics at home like here in France, but you also need to know how to focus on yourself.
“There is excitement, there is all the family, there are friends, and there is all of France who will support these Olympic Games. The whole country is going to experience these Olympic Games and therefore, it is really important to be in your own bubble and to say to yourself, ‘OK, I have my job I need to do.’ I have to be able to express myself as best as possible. I want to get to these Olympic Games and express my full potential.
“Then, of course, you can celebrate with all the people who want to share the moment, but it is true that you mustn’t make the wrong objective. Instead, stay focused on yourself to be able to achieve the best possible performance.”
Elodie Clouvel: Working on the expectations of others
With the heart of the Palace Gardens of the Chateau de Versailles set to host the modern pentathlon events even Clouvel’s surroundings will be like nothing she has ever seen before.
It’s one of the many reasons why the three-time Olympian is now working alongside renowned sports psychologist, Meriem Salmi, whose other clients include legendary judoka Teddy Riner, to make sure she is as mentally strong as she is physically fit.
“It's in-depth work,” Clouvel said explaining the kind of sessions she does with Salemi.
“We’re working on the fundamentals of psychology: to be stable, composed. A bit like the foundations of a house. We work so that we can be at the top and solid on the day, with a focused mind.
“It's super important to be well in your body but also well in your head: the two don't work without each other. So, on my part, I am working a lot on expectations in competitions. When you get to a certain level, you have to stay there and that's the hardest part. So, we're working on that: on people's expectations, how am I going to manage all of that, that apprehension.”
Elodie Clouvel: "It's easy to take off and lose your footing"
Paying heed to her mental strengths speaks a little to the experiences of the modern pentathlete until now.
The daughter of Pascal and Annick Clouvel, former national champions in long-distance running, made the switch from swimming to modern pentathlon after missing the cut for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Her potential for the five disciplines was spotted and after agreeing to give it a try, she began learning the arts of fencing, shooting, and show jumping.
Clouvel qualified for London 2012, her first Olympics, but they proved to be something of a disappointment. The Frenchwoman finished in 31st place after failing to make a dent in the competition.
Four years later Clouvel returned for Rio 2016 an altogether different calibre of athlete, taking home the silver medal behind Australia’s Chloe Esposito. It was France’s first-ever Olympic medal in the event and her success was heralded back home in her country as a result.
Having already ridden intense highs and lows, the 2013 world champion and four-time world silver medallist now insists the mental dimension of her sport is a priority, which is why she holds her psychology sessions in the same regard as her training.
“Sometimes, with an event like the Olympic Games, it's easy to take off and lose your footing and that’s exactly when psychology will help. Myriam [Salemi] helps me to stay grounded, to remain anchored on the ground: to stay grounded and aligned.
“It's a fundamental job that's part of my daily job, like a physical preparation session. I have my session every week with the psychiatrist, which allows me to stabilise my emotions. When there are too many emotions, to know how to stabilise them, bring them down to be really focused, lucid, and to be in the reality of things.”
Clouvel is in action this week at the UIPM 2023 Pentathlon World Cup in Ankara, with the final on April 15th, where she will be hoping to build on the silver she won at the season-opener in Cairo, Egypt, and gain ranking points towards competing in the World Cup Final which is a direct Paris 2024 qualifier.