Paris 2024 Olympic Games: Université Paris-Saclay is proud of its selected students
Thirteen students from the University Department of Education in Kinesiotherapy/Physiotherapy at the Paris-Saclay Faculty of Medicine and linked to the French National School of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation (ENKRE), have qualified to take part in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. They will be joining ten Université Paris-Saclay alumni who will also be representing France.
Every year, elite athletes can benefit from a specially-designed programme developed as part of a partnership between ENKRE, the Faculty of Medicine and sports federations. This scheme allows students to combine their professional training with a sports career, ensuring a smooth professional transition after they finish their sporting careers.
This summer, Université Paris-Saclay will be supporting its athletes:
Athletics – Alexe Déau and Marie-Ange Rimlinger
A first-year student, Alexe Déau is a sprint specialist. Despite her short career, she has already made a name for herself, winning silver in the 400 m and gold in the 4 x 400 m relay at the 2023 European Junior Championships. In 2024, she achieved impressive results at the European Championships in Rome. In the same year, she also competed in the French Championships, securing bronze in the 200 m and silver in the 400 m, which qualified her for the Olympic Games.
Alexe Déau will compete in the 4 x 400 m mixed relay on Friday 2 August at 7.10pm and the women's 4 x 400 m relay on Friday 9 August at 10.40am.
A second-year student, Marie-Ange Rimlinger has qualified as a substitute for the 4 x 100 m relay. This sprinter has won several medals in regional, national, European and international championships. In recent years, she has won three medals at the French Indoor Championships: one gold and two bronze. She also secured first and second places at the Meeting International de Forbach in the 100 m series 1 and 100 m, and finished third in the 4 x 100 m relay at the European U23 Championships in Bergen.
The women's 4 x 100 m relay will take place on Thursday 8 August at 3.10pm.
Canoeing – Axelle Renard
Axelle Renard is a first-year student. She won her first gold medal aged just 13 at the French Championships. She then began competing and aiming for national titles. In 2020, she participated in her last Olympic Hopes, where she won three bronze medals, before joining the French team the following year. The young athlete, already a four-time French Champion, is now aiming for a strong performance at the Olympic Games.
Axelle Renard will compete in the canoe double 500 m on Tuesday 6 August at 11am.
Fencing - Sarah Noutcha
Sarah Noutcha is a third-year student and a multi-medal winning fencer. After securing silver in team sabre at the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Sarah Noutcha went on to win team gold at the 2022 European Fencing Championships and then silver at the 2022 World Championships, in the same category. In 2023, she won bronze at the World University Games and became the French team champion. Despite an injury in 2023, she made a remarkable comeback at the Seoul Grand Prix in May 2024, finishing second in the individual event.
Sarah Noutcha will compete with her teammates on Saturday 3 August starting at 1pm.
Weightlifting - Dora Tchakounte
A third-year student, Dora Tchakounte was crowned French champion in the under-58 kg category in 2016 and 2018, before winning bronze at the 2021 European Championships. She was selected for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she finished 4th in the under-59 kg event. In 2022, she became the European champion in the under-59 kg category, lifting a total of 213 kilogrammes.
Dora Tchakounte will compete in the under-59 kg category on Thursday 8 August at 3pm.
Swimming - Yohann Ndoye Brouard and Maxime Grousset
A second-year student, Yohann Ndoye Brouard began his career with two French Championship titles in the 100 m backstroke (2018 and 2019), one in the 200 m backstroke (2018) and a bronze medal at the 2020 European Swimming Championships. In 2021, he qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in three categories: 100 m backstroke, 200 m backstroke and 4 x 100 m medley. Despite finishing sixteenth, ninth and tenth respectively, he won gold in the 200 m backstroke at the European Championships the following year, along with silver in the 4 x 100 m medley relay and bronze in the 100 m backstroke. In 2023, he came second in the 100 m backstroke at the European Championships.
Yohann Ndoye Brouard will line up for his first race, the 100 m backstroke, on Sunday 28 July at 11am, followed by the 200 m backstroke on Wednesday 31 July at 11am. He will also compete in the 4 x 100 m medley relay on Saturday 3 August, starting at 11am.
Also a second-year student, Maxime Grousset is a prominent figure in swimming with an impressive track record. Since his debut in 2017, he has won twelve gold medals at the French Championships, in the 50 m freestyle and butterfly and the 100 m freestyle and butterfly. He also secured a gold medal at the European Championships and two gold medals at the World Championships. Maxime Grousset holds several records including the French 100 m butterfly records in both short and long courses and the world record in the 4 x 50 m mixed freestyle relay, achieved alongside Florent Manaudou, Béryl Gastaldello and Mélanie Henique.
Maxime Grousset will compete in the 50 m freestyle on Thursday 1 August at 11am, the 100 m freestyle on Tuesday 30 July at 11am, the 100 m butterfly on Friday 2 August at 11am, the 4 x 100 m freestyle on Saturday 27 July at 11am, and the 4 x 100 m medley on Saturday 3 August at 11am.
Synchronised swimming - Manon Disbeaux
Third-year student Manon Disbeaux is preparing to experience her first Olympic Games this summer. The young athlete already has several European medals to her name. In 2022, she won bronze in the team highlight event in artistic swimming at the European Swimming Championships in Rome. The following year, at the 2023 European Games in Oświęcim, she and her team clinched the European Champion title in acrobatics.
Manon Disbeaux will compete in the artistic swimming events starting on 5 August at 7.30pm.
Modern pentathlon - Marie Oteiza
Marie Oteiza is a first-year student. She won gold in 2019 and 2021 and bronze in 2023 at the World Modern Pentathlon Championships, a sport consisting of five disciplines: fencing, swimming, equestrian show jumping, pistol shooting and running. In 2019, she qualified to participate in the Tokyo Olympic Games, where she finished tenth. Marie Oteiza also won gold in the individual and relay events at the 2018 European Championships and bronze in the mixed relay with Ugo Fleurot in 2022.
Marie Oteiza will compete in the modern pentathlon events on Thursday 8 August at 2.30pm.
Diving - Jules Bouyer and Naïs Gillet
Second-year student Jules Boyer was a double medallist at the 2023 European Games, winning silver in the 3-metre springboard and bronze in the synchronised 3-metre springboard. That same year, he took part in the World Swimming Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, where he earned a place on the podium in the synchronised 3-metre springboard event.
Jules Bouyer will compete in the individual 3-metre diving on Tuesday 6 August at 10am, followed by the synchronised 3-metre diving on Friday 2 August at 11am.
A second-year student, Naïs Gillet has quickly established herself as one of the most promising synchronised divers of her generation. In 2018, she and her sister Jade joined the Olympic team, forming France's first female synchronised diving team. These Olympic Games will be an opportunity for her to boost France's profile in this discipline.
Naïs Gillet will participate in the women's synchronised 3-metre diving on Saturday 27 July at 11am.
Rugby - Lou Noël Rivier
Third-year student Lou Noël Rivier is preparing for her first Olympic Games in Paris this summer. Aged just 23, she already has an impressive track record: double European champion in 2022 and 2023, bronze medallist at the 2022 Rugby Sevens World Cup and silver medallist at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018.
Lou Noël will start the competition on Sunday 28 July at 5pm.
Water polo - Aurélie Battu
A third-year student, Aurélie Battu has come second in the France championships three times, in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2020, she qualified to participate in the Tokyo Olympics but endured a severe shoulder injury during a warm-up match. This led to major surgery and a lengthy recovery period for this formidable shooter known for her “strong right arm”. Aurélie Battu is now hoping to win a medal with the French team at the Paris Olympics.
Aurélie Battu will compete in the water polo events as part of the French women's team on Saturday 27 July at 6.30pm.
They studied with us
Badminton – Anne Tran
A graduate of ENKRE, Anne Tran has amassed numerous titles throughout her career. Her first success came in 2013 when she became French champion in the women's doubles with Delphine Lansac. She reclaimed this title in 2017, this time alongside Émilie Lefel, with whom she competed at the 2018 European Championships, winning the silver medal. The duo also came third at the European Games the following year. In 2021, after her partner suffered a serious injury, Anne decided to team up with Margot Lambert. The pair quickly broke into the Top 100 before becoming three-time French champions. At the 2023 French Open, they became the first French women's doubles pair to reach the quarter-finals of a Super 750 tournament. The French pair won a bronze medal at the 2023 European Games in Krakow before becoming European champions in 2024. Their qualification for Paris 2024 is historic; it is the first time in 32 years that a women's doubles pair will represent France at the Olympic Games.
Anne Tran will compete in the women's doubles events, with the preliminary rounds taking place from 27 to 30 July.
BMX – Tessa Martinez
A graduate with a degree in sports sciences from Université Paris-Saclay, Tessa Martinez will be a substitute at the Paris Olympics. Crowned French champion multiple times since 2010, she won a bronze medal at the European Championships. She then came second in the U23 European Championship, winning three rounds and the overall ranking for the World Cup in this category, before being crowned U23 World Champion in Glasgow.
The BMX Racing events kick off on Thursday 1 August at 8pm.
Canoeing – Adrien Bart
An ENKRE graduate, Adrien Bart won his first world title in the double canoe (C2) marathon in 2009. He continued his winning streak with World Cup victories in 2014 and 2015, in the C4 1000 m and C2 1000 m events respectively. In 2019, he won the World Cup and was bronze medallist at the World Championships in the C1 1000 m. This year, he will be competing in his third Olympic Games. After finishing 9th in Rio 2016 and 4th in Tokyo 2020, Adrien Bart is heading to Paris 2024 with his mind set, aiming for a spot on the podium.
Adrien Bart will compete in the C1 1000 m event on Wednesday 7 August, starting at 11.40am.
Fencing - Auriane Mallo-Breton and Enzo Lefort
An ENKRE graduate, Auriane Mallo-Breton began her career in the 2000s. After a brief hiatus in 2021, she made a remarkable return to competitions, winning the team gold medal at the European Games in Krakow and the individual bronze medal at the 2023 European Championships. In 2023, she also claimed the French épée championship and became a triple world champion in team épée. Her best individual result came in 2024, at the Grand Prix in Cali, Colombia, securing her qualification for Paris 2024.
Auriane Mallo-Breton will compete in the individual épée events on 27 July at 5pm, with the final at 9pm. She will also participate in the group épée events on 30 July at 1.30pm, with the final at 7.30pm.
Enzo Lefort, also an ENKRE graduate, began fencing aged just 5 in Guadeloupe, quickly rising to become the Guadeloupe champion before joining the Châtenay-Malabry "Pôle Espoir", then the National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) in 2010. He became French Junior Champion in 2010 and 2011, winning team bronze medals at the Junior World Championships. In 2012, he became French champion in both individual and team events and the European team runner-up, before competing at the London Olympics. In 2013, he secured 3rd place at the World Championships in Budapest in the team event. He was ranked second in the world in 2014 and became a team world champion. In 2015, he was team European champion. He won silver in the team foil event at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He claimed his first individual world title at the 2019 World Championships and became the team Olympic champion at Tokyo 2020. He defended his individual world title in 2022 and in 2023, he came second in the European Championships and won team foil bronze. Outside of fencing, Lefort is a photographer and artist who published a manga series in 2021 and served on the grand jury of the Angoulême Festival in 2024.
Enzo Lefort will compete in individual foil on Monday 29 July, starting at 9.55am and in team foil on Sunday 4 August, starting at 11.50am.
Football – Élisa De Almeida
With a degree (DUT) in Marketing techniques from Université d’Évry, Élisa De Almeida is one of the top names of the Paris Saint-Germain women’s football team. Having won the French Cup and being selected as one of the top 11 players in France’s first football league, Élisa will represent France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Élisa De Almeida will play for France at the women's football tournament as of 25 July until 10 August in various stadiums across France.
Gymnastics - Samir Aït Saïd
An ENKRE graduate, Samir Aït Saïd has had a long and illustrious career filled with countless achievements. He began winning national and European titles in the late 2000s, with his first major breakthrough coming in 2016, when he was selected for the Rio Olympics. He was considered a strong medal contender, particularly in the rings event. However, a serious injury during the competition shattered his Olympic dream. Thanks to his perseverance, he returned to competition in September 2017 at the French Internationals, where he won the silver medal on the rings. He qualified for the World Championships in Montreal, where he finished 4th. In October 2019, in Stuttgart, he reached the rings final and won bronze, his first world championship medal, also securing his qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He finished 4th on the rings in Tokyo and later qualified for his third Olympic Games in Paris 2024, after securing 3rd place at the Doha World Cup stage in April 2024.
Samir Aït Saïd will compete in the rings qualification on 27 July with the final on 4 August at 3pm.
Field hockey – Amaury Bellenger
Amaury Bellenger, an ENKRE graduate, won the French junior championship title eight times with his team, before becoming French senior champion with the Racing Club de France. These encouraging beginnings earned him a call-up to the French A side in April 2017, aged just 19. However, an injury in 2022 caused him to miss the 2023 World Cup with the French team. Returning to the French national team for the European Cup in August 2023, the squad finished 5th, a result not seen in twenty years. This promising performance has helped France to climb to 9th in the world rankings.
Amaury Bellenger will take part in the field hockey events on Saturday 27 July at 5pm.
Judo – Aurélien Diesse
A graduate of the Sports science Master's programme at Université Paris-Saclay, Aurélien Diesse has had an impressive sporting career. He began with a victory at the French Junior Cup in 2014. As a junior, he won a bronze medal at the 2016 European Championships in Malaga despite a cruciate ligament injury and became the European junior champion in the under-90 kg category in 2017 in Maribor. He finished that season as a semi-finalist at the Junior World Championships. Transitioning to senior level, he secured a silver medal with the French team at the 2018 World Championships, with a memorable victory over the reigning world champion. He also won a bronze medal in the mixed team event at the 2019 European Games. Aurélien was the French champion in the 2019/2020 season and retained his title the following season, despite the pandemic. In 2021, he finished second in the French Championships. In 2022, he won his fourth national title in the under-100 kg category and shone at the Tokyo Grand Slam. Despite recurring injuries that have required several shoulder operations, he continues to perform at the highest level, qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Aurélien Diesse will take to the tatami on Thursday 1 August at 10am.
Rugby – Joanna Grisez
A graduate of the Faculty of Sports Science at Université Paris-Saclay, Joanna Grisez is an accomplished athlete who juggles rugby sevens and rugby union. A tennis player until later in life, she swapped the small yellow ball for the oval ball and quickly demonstrated her speed and energy. Called up for the first time in 2018, after only two years of practice, she is now working towards the Olympic Games and the 2025 World Cup.
Joanna Grisez and her team will be looking to make France shine at the various matches as of Sunday 28 July until Tuesday 30 July.