The year 2022 has been rich in sporting events. Sports stars, French or foreign, have impressed or disappointed us. On this first day of the year, the editorial staff gives you its French Flop 5 of 2022 (excluding football).
N°1: Alexis Pinturault did not digest the crystal
He had won the big crystal globe at the end of the 2021-2022 season, which then allowed him to join Jean-Claude Killy but also Luc Alphand in the pantheon of French skiing. Last season, Alexis Pinturault was unable to confirm. Worse, the Frenchman went through the last exercise like a ghost. At the finish, he finished tenth overall in the men’s Alpine Skiing World Cup. Without even managing to “catch up” on a small globe. However, from 2012 to 2021, the Habs had always finished among the first three in the general classification of the giant slalom. This time, he had to settle for fifth overall. A complicated World Cup in more ways than one, insofar as Pinturault also did not win any race. And what about the Olympic Games. The Frenchman had been a medalist each time, whether in Sochi in 2014, with bronze in giant slalom, then in Pyeongchang in 2018, again with bronze in giant slalom but also silver in the combined. This time, the Savoyard left Beijing with a fifth place in the giant slalom as his best result. And also an eleventh position in the super-G as well as the sixteenth place in the slalom. Not to mention his abandonment during the combined. In a season without world championships.
N°2: French athletes are not doing any better
A year after the fiasco of the Games, expected but confirmed, where the only (silver) medal came from Kevin Mayer, it was a repeat of the 2022 Worlds in Eugene. The decathlon world record holder has again raised a golden bar, but behind it, nothingness: it’s even worse than in 2019 in Doha, where there were two medals, and it’s quite simply the worst record of the Blues since 1993. The observation is not the same for Wilfried Happio, who missed the podium by nothing in the 400m hurdles, as for the executives Quentin Bigot (hammer) or Renaud Lavillenie (pole) who no longer arrive to go and hang a medal. Jimmy Vicaut no longer exists in the 100m, Christophe Lemaitre even less. But even for hope Happio, in police custody last week, extra-sporting problems are causing depression. The European Championships have raised the level, but still happy… And of the nine medals, not a single one was gold in the absence of King Kevin Mayer, who was uncertain for a long time and who quickly gave up. It is the first time since 1982 that the French team has not won any continental title. As a symbol, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde – the only other executive who continues to hang on -, missed first place by a thousandth over 110m hurdles, where even Sasha Zhoya failed to confirm in the face of far too high expectations. . Happio or Rénelle Lamote (800m) also took silver. But apart from them (and Kevin Mayer, again and again), it becomes almost exaggerated to speak of disappointment as we are no longer expecting anyone, anyway. A year and a half before Paris 2024, this is anything but encouraging.
No. 3: Fabio Quartararo has collapsed
After a perfect year 2021 which brought him to the title of MotoGP world champion, a first for a Frenchman, Fabio Quartararo has not had the same success this season. However, after his victory at the German Grand Prix, his third in 2022 after Portugal and Catalonia, everything seemed to be going well for “El Diablo”. With 34 points ahead of his first pursuer Aleix Espargaro, on the handlebars of an Aprilia which has clearly progressed, and a Francesco Bagnaia, leader of Ducati, pushed back to 91 units, Fabio Quartararo thought he could see coming . But, after a failed Dutch Grand Prix with two crashes in the race, the tide turned. Finally managing to get the most out of his Ducati after a complicated start to the season, “Pecco” raised his voice and the Frenchman could not keep up. Riding a Yamaha lacking too many things to compete with the Ducati, Fabio Quartararo only suffered and then had the sole ambition of delaying the deadline as much as possible. If the fall of Francesco Bagnaia in Japan gave him air, the zero point in Australia was the fatal blow. The French driver gave everything as much in Malaysia as in Valencia, but the die was cast. Fabio Quartararo ceded his crown to the one who was his runner-up last year. Having extended its contract with Yamaha for two more seasons, “El Diablo” hopes that the Japanese manufacturer’s promises will be kept… but the first elements leave room for doubt as to the progress that the tuning fork firm will be able to make for 2023.
No. 4, Julian Alaphilippe had bad luck…
If there is one who is delighted to see 2023, it is Julian Alaphilippe. The Habs appear in the “French flop” category in view of their unfortunate, unlucky and disappointing season after a 2021 vintage marked by a title retained at the World Championships, a Flèche Wallonne and a day in yellow during the Tour de France. No, in 2022, nothing smiled on the rider of the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. However, at the start of the season, the puncheur had decided to optimize his schedule to only go for the victory but nothing happened as planned. And as a result, he only raised his arms twice, during the 2nd stage of the Tour of the Basque Country and during the 1st stage of the Tour de Wallonie. This year, Julian Alaphilippe was struck by bad luck (but also covid, gastro…) which never left him. The wind was first responsible for his fall (during the Strade Bianche) before it was his own team’s car during the Flèche Brabançonne. Forfeited for Milan – San Remo due to bronchitis, the Habs then suffered a serious accident at Liège-Bastogne-Liège (his most important race of the season) which caused him a pneumothorax, fractures to a scapula and two broken ribs. Back for the French Championships, he is not in optimal condition (51st) and is not selected for the Tour de France either. Aligned with the Vuelta to help Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe falls again and leaves the Tour of Spain with a dislocated shoulder. Relieved of his rainbow jersey, the Frenchman has his eyes riveted on 2023 for a season that can only be better, we hope.
N°5: Benoit Paire and Corentin Moutet, the terrible children have not changed…
French tennis has been talked about this year. But not necessarily always in a good way, in particular for two of its representatives. Like for example Benoît Paire. The native of Avignon started the year 2022 in 46th place in the ATP ranking. He is now 179th. Which now obliges him to perform on the Challenger circuit. While waiting perhaps to be able to return to the heights, for those who have already known the 18th place in the world. Now 33 years old, the current 19th in the French hierarchy is more talked about by his extra-sporting behavior with flowery statements on the courts or matches sent voluntarily. A year that looks a lot like 2021 for him. Another behavior that has been talked about, that of Corentin Moutet. The latter had, several times, gestures of anger on the courts. Last Septemberthe Habs had even come close to coming to blows with his opponent Adrian Andreev, after their meeting, near Orleans. As a result, the Frenchman was simply ousted from the French Tennis Federation, no later than November 1st. This resulted in the loss of financial aid as well as his federal coach.
