Jean-François Lamour, from the Ile-de-France region, was a double Olympic saber fencing champion in Los Angeles in 1984 and Seoul in 1988 before becoming Jacques Chirac’s Minister of Sports.
question of the day
Who is former minister and Olympic fencing champion Jean-François Lamour?
Response from France Bleu Paris
to answer us Thomas Etcheberry turned right Denis SoulaPassionate about sports history and author of sports-related books: “ Jean-François Lamour He was born in the 12th arrondissement, Paris, a city he loved since, after his career as a fencer, he served as youth and sports advisor to Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris. »
Denis Soula describes the youth of the champion: “ Jean-François Lamour is initially a turbulent child whose parents moved to Maisons-Alfort*. His father is a boiler master and his mother is a teacher. The family’s pediatrician recommends fencing the anxious person to guide him, *It is a sport that requires a lot of concentration and discipline. He meets a fencing master who sets up his room in the attic and proves to be an extraordinary educator who writes about the future double Olympic champion: He is not very talented, but he endures! »
Jean-François LamourThis is an outstanding track record. Denis Soula gives us an overview of his career: ” Jean-François Lamour is a double Olympic champion. It is rare! You should also know that he also worked with the sword, the discipline at which the French were least strong. Ok for foil or epee, but swords are pretty average when you start with the French team! A Hungarian master is hired for the French team. To prepare for the Los Angeles Games*, Lamour trains four hours a day and gets rewarded, Became Olympic champion on August 4, 1984. Of course, the Eastern countries were not there, but four years later, Seoul in 1988, retains his title Against Russians, Hungarians, Bulgarians. He was 32 years old at the time, and a few years later, In 2002, he became President Jacques Chirac’s Minister of Sports.* »
