Paul Jenft: the final stretch before the Olympics
On 23 June, at the end of the qualifying rounds, Polytech Grenoble - INP, UGA student Paul Jenft made the selection for the French climbing team in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The young 22-year-old climber is about to live his Olympic dream.
A difficult selection phase: a “rollercoaster” experience
While Paul was delighted to qualify, the elimination of Mejdi Schalck, his “training buddy”, after the cumulative qualifiers was a real blow.
The late selection process had been planned for a long time. The three French climbers who ranked among the world’s top 10 - Medji Schalck, Sam Avezou and Paul Jenft - knew that there were only two places in the French team for the Olympic Games.
The two phases of the Olympic Qualifier Series were decisive. After an impressive performance in Shanghai, where he finished 4th, the second round in Budapest was less clear cut, with a 9th-position finish for Paul on 22nd June meaning that he was out of the final the following day. He attended the event as a spectator and his total score depended solely on the performance of his two teammates. “It was very stressful. In the end I was 2nd-best placed out of the French competitors, only marginally ahead of the 3rd-placed finisher (Mejdi Schalck). The last few weeks have been a rollercoaster ride of possibilities. I found out that I had made the selection after the final in Budapest. I was happy, of course, but it wasn't easy because I heard at the same time that Mejdi, one of my best mates and my training buddy, had been eliminated. I felt like it was my fault he’d missed out on the games”.
In spite of the sadness at seeing his best friend eliminated, Paul is delighted to have qualified: “after all the tension, it's good to relax a bit!”
Objective: a place in the final
Since the announcement that he has qualified, the pressure has eased a little and Paul is going to “enjoy it to the max and give it [his] all! It’s a good type of pressure!”
His goal: a place in the final: “a top-eight finish is my target”. Although the young climber sometimes dreams of a medal, he modestly states: “it would be insane! There’s little possibility of me winning a medal, but you never know! Either way, it’s going to be fun. Whatever happens, Paris will be great, with some really outstanding performances!”
An event like no other
Since qualifying, Paul says “it’s only just starting to sink in, with the whole Olympic machine getting in motion!”. Even for an athlete familiar with top-level competitions, the Olympics are without compare because of the “media exposure, the high visibility”.
Paul has been preparing for this unique event since 2017. “As soon as I heard that climbing was entering the [Olympic] Games and that they would be held in Paris, I thought I might be in with a chance! I've invested a lot in achieving this goal and it's a real reward to finally get here!”
The climbing events will see the world's top climbers go head-to-head between 5 and 9 August. In the meantime, Paul is discovering and getting to grips with the “very complex” organisation of the Olympics: an athlete’s village that is difficult to leave, “a sort of cocoon or bubble”, press conferences and periods of rest to be scheduled from the outset. He will also parade with the other French athletes during the closing ceremony on 11 August.
A balance between “achieving the best academically and in sport”.
For all that, the young athlete is not neglecting his studies! After qualifying, he returned almost immediately to Polytech Grenoble - INP, UGA to sit the exams that he had deferred in order to compete in the Olympic qualifiers. Although he admitted not being able to “fully devote myself to revising”, he thinks he passed the year and is not worried about getting the marks he was aiming for. For Paul, it is a balance between "achieving the best academically and in sport".
This summer, he is prioritising sport, but intends to “really get my head down” from September. “I would like to thank Grenoble INP - UGA and Polytech Grenoble for all the support I’ve received”, says Paul, ever modest and always willing to discuss his exceptional journey.
Crédits photos :
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