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Focusing on Victory: Lisa Barbelin’s Journey to France’s Historic Olympic Archery Medal

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Lisa Barbelin, who has just won the very first Olympic medal in French women’s individual archery, explains to us how she trained mentally to be 100% focused on the decisive arrows.

Lisa Barbelin during the individual archery event at the Olympic Games at Les Invalides, August 3, 2024. PUNIT PARANJPE / AFP

By Michel Bezbakh

Published on August 4, 2024 at 8:55 a.m.

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“Socrates paid great attention to this, that we can be conquered by ourselves, and that we can conquer ourselves.”recalls the philosopher Alain, in this book called neither more nor less The gods. “It is always the whole body that weighs on the fingers, that knots them, that makes them rebellious. The contracted and stiffened state is what maintains in us the fear of ourselves; and it is madness to envy the virtue of the horse, when one does not have only oneself all his strength as a man.” That’s a lot of neurons to start a paper, but the fact is that to do archery, you need a lot of them. 80, 85, 90%, it varies depending on the people you’re talking to, but the mental part is considerable in this exercise of precision, as Alain and Socrates suggest.

“We all have a technique that allows us to perform and get 10s.”that is to say, reaching the center of the target, Lisa Barbelin explained to us on June 26, at Insep. “But what will make the difference is to make 10s when it is necessary.” Yes, you were absolutely right Lisa, and on Saturday, August 3, 2024, at around 2:46 p.m., you rolled a 10 exactly when you needed to, to win a bronze medal, the very first in the history of French women’s individual archery.

Piano to relax your fingers

We exploded with joy. Because in the space of those ten or fifteen minutes that she had granted us last month, we had had time to realize that this woman was not quite like the others. When your eyes shine that much, when you smile that much, when you give your time with such generosity at such an important moment in your life, you are simply a good person, who deserves a medal.

Okay, back to the point. Back to our arrows. Lisa was telling us that it’s not rocket science to hit the 10, when we’ve shot about 90,000 arrows since September 15, or 300 to 600 per day. And we love the piano. “I’ve been doing it since I was little and it’s a bit like archery: you have to not think about your fingers and keep playing if you make a mistake. The piano also helps me to desynchronize my fingers from each other, make them independent, and to be relaxed. Because in archery, what’s really important is to have the extremities relaxed. If they’re tense, the arrows go too far.”

Sophrology to relax “the sinusoids of the heart”

Since the technique is so easy, the most important thing is concentration. And concentration is first and foremost physical. A question of heart rate. “Someone who is at 70 or 80 beats per minute at rest can be at 150 at the Olympics.”also explained to us the National Technical Director, Benoit Binon. “And it doesn’t end there, your heart rate increases throughout the day. Which leads to fatigue, an energy expenditure linked to stress. You wouldn’t think so, but archery causes a large expenditure of calories.”

We can see it, in fact, on Lisa Barbelin’s face after her eighth-final match on Saturday morning. She is all red, she looks like she just came out of a 5,000 meters, while she only shot a few arrows against the number 19 seed (she herself is number 30), winning 6-2 (3 sets to 1, because a set is worth 2 points). For this story of calories and cardio, a good tip is sophrology. “This helps me with cardiac coherence: having the heart’s sinusoids as flexible as possible, regardless of the number of beats per minute. The important thing is that the variations are smooth. If the curves are too abrupt, we lose lucidity.” READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

A shrink to do “great things” with your emotions

And then you mustn’t spread yourself too thin, of course, over the course of the four matches of an Olympic day. After the eighth, in the mixed zone, she apologizes to TeleramaRTL, and an American media: “No, sorry, I prefer to stay focused, we’ll talk later, with the medal around my neck, okay? Thanks!” It’s rare to give off so many positive vibes. Each time, Lisa entered the arena with a jaw-dropping smile and big greetings for the 9,000 people in the stands. Light years away from those failed team matches in recent days, where the French archers were “entered the arena as if into the slaughterhouse”in his own words. But is it really a help, the flags, the applause, all these « Lisa ! Lisa ! »in this sport where you have to empty your mind? “In the thirty-second and sixteenth finals on Tuesday, I really relied on the energy of the crowd, and today it was the opposite. I listened, but I remained very focused on myself. I managed to switch well. My psychologist, Émilie Thienot, taught me to accept my emotions, and to do great things thanks to them.”

His other training is both physical and psychological. “I do yoga twice a week, and seven minutes of meditation a day. Anytime I feel like it. I go into a room, I take my heartbeat, and I align my exhalations with my inhalations, I exhale five times, I inhale five times. I just focus on that. If a stray thought comes in, I chase it away, and I refocus on my breathing. It’s an exercise I also do just before entering the arena.”

The wind has turned

And so before this quarter-final, against the Indonesian Diananda Choirunisa, seeded number 6. A big machine, that one, in Hunger Games she survives with one hand behind her back. Always making 10s to catch up with Lisa who also shows herself to be simply remarkable in her precision. Several ties lead to a multiplication of sets, until this “match arrow” for the Indonesian. An 8 is enough for her to win, which is to say that it is over since she has only managed almost 9s and 10s until now, and she has proven that her mind is not made of cardboard. Then… then something happens that we will perhaps explain one day, when science has made progress, or when an extraterrestrial intelligence has come down to earth to give us explanations: the Indonesian hits the 5.

“This is impossible! This is unheard of!” exclaims the CNN-Turkey journalist next to me. Apparently there was wind. Behind, Choirunisa scores 8 and Lisa 10. We are in the semi-finals.

Lisa raises her bow (three kilos five) towards the audience and towards the sky, the Sky, thank you for this miracle. But maybe miracles are like luck, they have to be provoked. Maybe also that after bringing bad luck to the French during the first few days, Telerama has become their lucky charm (all those articles on Marchand, Lebrun, Riner…). In any case the wind has turned, and thanks to God, or someone else, this is also to be understood literally.

“The only arrow where I wasn’t quite in the present”

Now, Lisa is in the last four with three Koreans around her. And if the Arena de Bercy, for the gym, resembled Los Angeles 2028, the Invalides for archery, it’s Seoul 88. Yes, Vincent Duluc wanted to devote his column, in The Team of the day, to the feat of having gotten up for archery while “that we see nothing”but it should be noted that quite a few people are prepared to travel 8,000 kilometres with their families for these matches which last no more than ten minutes and which are a little less spectacular, it’s true, than a floor exercise by Simone Biles.

All this to say that the French, for once, are not in the minority but almost, despite the Invalides on the left, the Eiffel Tower in front, the Grand Palais on the right. No miracle in the semi-final. On neutral ground, Lisa loses dryly 6-0 against the number 2.

Then comes this little finale that has all the makings of a big one. How can you stay calm at this moment? “How do they manage to silence the little Iago voice of the ‘me’?”the great athletes, asks David Foster Wallace in Considerations on Lobster II ? “How do they manage to bypass the brain and act with simplicity and superbness? How can they, at the critical moment, invoke, personally, a cliché as hackneyed as “One ball at a time” or “I have to concentrate” and believe it, then do it? Perhaps because, for these outstanding athletes, these clichés are not hackneyed but true, pure and simple; or perhaps they present themselves not as declarative expressions […] but as mere imperatives which are either useful or not; and if they are, it is fitting to invoke them and obey them, and that is all.”

In any case, Lisa shot like a queen, or like Robin Hood, since we have to mention him, in an article on archery. At two sets all against Jeon Hunyoung, Lisa shoots last. 8: she loses. 9: she goes to overtime. 10: she wins. “It’s the only arrow where I wasn’t completely in the present, where I thought about what could happen next. I had my finger on the string, I said to myself “This is your destiny Lisa, you have to take it in hand”, and I did well!” At least: 10. In the stands, his mother, father, brother and two sisters have never been so moved by a good score.

2024-08-04 06:55:08
#Piano #yoga #shrink #Lisa #Barbelins #training #win #historic #medal #archery #Olympics

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The Truth About the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 Match

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In one way or the other, almost every Nigerian has heard of the mythical match between India Vs. Nigeria that ended with 99 goals to 1 with India being victorious.

Before the advent of the internet, this story successfully thrived among Nigerians, but with the emergence of the internet and easy access to social media, the truth behind the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match was revealed.

Though there are different accounts of the match, but they all have the following in common:

  1. That the match ended with India scoring 99 goals and Nigeria scoring just one goal.
  2. That Nigerians were unable to kick the ball because the football kept turning to a lion which scared them away…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>
    1. That Indians later agreed that if Nigeria could score one goal, they would concede defeat.
    2. That Samuel Okwaraji scored the winning goal and lost his life in the process because the ball turned into stone as he was about to kick it.
    3. That FIFA banned India from soccer because they used juju (black magic) in that match.
    India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match

    Why did people believe the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match story?

    Even with the absence of the internet back then, this kind of claims should be immediately recognized as lies, the kind of lies they call “big fat lies”. But most people like to acknowledge this story as true with the fact that no one has ever seen India play in an International Football Match. Since no one actually saw India participate in most international soccer games, this gave a little credence to the story.

    Another reason this lie thrived for long was that credible information was not easily accessible in Nigeria unlike now that even a 4-year-old child can debunk false claims within minutes with the help of Google. This Nigeria Vs India match story would have been fabricated by one community elder to children during an evening gathering; that’s our take at OldNaija.

    What Actually Happened!

    On the 12th of August 1989, Nigeria lost one of her best footballers, Sam Okwaraji who died during a football match. We wrote about how he died on the pitch and you can read it here. Sam Okwaraji was the player rumoured to have lost his life in that game when in truth he died during a FIFA World Cup qualifying game against Angola in the 77th minute. He collapsed and died of cognitive heart failure. May his soul rest in peace. AMEN!

    Samuel Okwaraji and Green Eagles
    Samuel Okwaraji (circled)

    So, that is the only truthful thing about the India Vs Nigeria 99-1 match story, the fact that a Nigerian player died during a football match. That is what these lies was fabricated around. The match was not against India, Nigeria did not lose the match and as you must have guessed, and there were no lions or ball turning into a stone.

    Meme
    Meme by Campus Bro

    Nevertheless, one cannot deny that this kind of story made one’s childhood as a Nigerian. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

    Before we go,

    Why was India Banned by FIFA?

    India was never banned by FIFA. It was India that withdrew from the tournament themselves. Here is how it happened.

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) made it clear to India that they would not be allowed to play in the 1950 FIFA World Cup without footwear.

    Then something happened. You see, when determining the make-up of the 1950 World Cup, FIFA determined that obviously the two defending finalists, Brazil and Italy, would be guaranteed slots. That left fourteen slots that needed to be filled.

    FIFA decided that seven of those slots would come from Europe, six would come from the Americas and one would come from Asia.

    The problem was that of the four Asian teams that were invited to the World Cup, three of them (the Philippines, Indonesia and Burma) withdrew from the tournament before the qualification round.

    Therefore, India earned an automatic slot within the World Cup. It would be India’s first time appearing in the World Cup but India, too, withdrew from the tournament because FIFA would not allow them to compete barefoot.

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SAD|| 10 Players Who Lost Everything After Divorce, Number 5 Will Shôck You

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The Hidden Financial Struggles of Footballers: Divorce’s Costly Toll

The glamorous image of professional footballers, with their luxurious lifestyles and multimillion-dollar contracts, often obscures a harsh reality: the financial devastation many endure through divorce. Behind the fame and fortune, several high-profile players have seen their wealth significantly depleted after parting ways with their spouses, a stark reminder that no amount of money can fully shield one of the financial pitfalls of personal relationships gone awry…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

One of the most shocking examples is that of former Arsenal defender Emmanuel Eboué, who lost not only his properties in England but also custody of his children following a bitter divorce. Despite earning millions during his career, Eboué found himself stripped of almost everything. His situation became a cautionary tale, underscoring that even the wealthiest footballers can fall victim to the financial ruin that divorce can bring.

Eboué is not alone. Football legends such as Thierry Henry and Ryan Giggs have also experienced significant financial losses due to divorce. Henry reportedly paid £10 million to his ex-wife, while Giggs parted with an astonishing £40 million after his marriage ended. Louis Saha and Wes Brown, both former Manchester United players, also suffered substantial financial hits, with Brown declaring bankruptcy despite earning £50,000 per week during his time at the club. His case highlights how even vast earnings can quickly evaporate when faced with legal settlements and financial mismanagement.

David James, the former England goalkeeper, faced a particularly dire situation, losing much of his fortune after divorce and being forced to auction his personal belongings to make ends meet. Similarly, Ray Parlour, another Arsenal great, saw his ex-wife receive half of his £10 million fortune, including a £2.5 million house. Jamie Redknapp, a former Liverpool star, also faced a hefty settlement, parting with half of his estimated £15 million fortune after his marriage ended.

These are just a few of the many footballers who have faced financial disaster due to divorce. Keith Gillespie, once a key figure in the Premier League, lost over £7 million, leading to his bankruptcy in 2010. Despite earning significant wages during his career, his divorce and poor financial decisions left him in financial ruin. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Perhaps the most shocking case is that of Tendai Ndoro, a Zimbabwean striker who lost everything after registering all his properties in his wife’s name. Following their breakup, she kicked him out of the house, leaving him with nothing. Ndoro’s story serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of not protecting one’s assets, even in relationships where trust is implicit.

For footballers, whose careers often peak early, these financial setbacks can be devastating. While their salaries are among the highest in professional sports, the combination of short career spans, legal fees, and divorce settlements can quickly erode their fortunes. Many players also face additional challenges in managing their finances due to a lack of financial education or oversight during their playing years.

These stories underscore the importance of safeguarding personal wealth, especially for high-earning individuals like footballers, who may be more vulnerable to financial upheaval. Proper financial planning, asset protection strategies, and prenups are increasingly necessary tools for protecting one’s earnings and securing a stable future.

In conclusion, while the public sees footballers as insulated by their wealth, the reality is that they are just as susceptible to the financial hardships of divorce as anyone else. The personal struggles behind the scenes reveal that their lives, though glamorous on the surface, are often fraught with the same vulnerabilities and challenges faced by ordinary individuals. These cases serve as sobering reminders that financial security is never guaranteed, even for those at the pinnacle of success.

 

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NFL | The best was yet to come, and then no

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In February 2022, the Bengals missed the Super Bowl by three small points, but regardless, the future seemed bright in Cincinnati.


Posted at 1:13 a.m.

Updated at 7:00 a.m.

In any case, that’s what we, the most seasoned experts in American football, believed, capable of seeing the future each season, often in a very impressive way; for example, this column has been predicting since 1970 that the New York Jets are not going to win the Super Bowl, and that’s still exactly what happens.

The Bengals have never won anything, but their presence on the big stage two years ago suggested that, a bit like the Nordiques in 1990, the best was yet to come.

Well, no.

As of this hour, the Bengals are a dismal 1-4, and even then, their only win came against the Carolina Panthers, who are about as bad as they are.

The good news for the Bengals is that this “landing” is fairly easily explained: their defense is pretty awful. The less good news is that it is probably already too late to try to solve this problem.

In five games, the Bengals have allowed a total of 145 points, which gives a pretty staggering average of 29 points per game. No one else in the American Association looks this bad, and in the league as a whole, only the Carolina Panthers are even worse in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Bengals are wasting the best years of Joe Burrow, who turns 28 in December. He wouldn’t be the first quality quarterback to waste his talent in this uniform.

Is it necessary here to remember that in American football, as in life in general, there is never anything certain? This reality reminds us of this sublime quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who once wrote that “supreme happiness is a hundred times sweeter to hope for than to obtain”.

Rousseau must have been a Bengals fan, obviously.

You are probably aware that the New York Jets fired their coachbut that’s not the worst. The worst part is that poor Robert Saleh would have been escorted to the door like a pauper by security agents.

PHOTO MIKE STOBE, ARCHIVES AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh

It’s undoubtedly one of the worst moments in the history of a club that collects the worst moments, from Mark Sanchez dropping a ball on his lineman’s pussy, to a visibly hot Joe Namath trying to to kiss a reporter live on TV (we’re going to move on to the naughty photo of Brett Favre because there are children here).

We can never repeat it enough: in football, as in life, everything starts from the top. The leaders of the Jets, who display a level of competence similar to that of the inventors of Pepsi Crystal, thus opted for the easy way, instead of realizing that their ground game is non-existent, and that their quarterback who hears voices in his head is finished.

In addition, barely installed, new coach Jeff Ulbrich decided to give control of the attack to assistant Todd Downing, who will call the plays from now on. This is not a detail because this task previously fell to offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, close and confidant of Aaron Rodgers.

It’s obvious that this is going to end very badly. As per usual.

Someone whispers in my ear that the inbox is overflowing again, so let’s get to it right away.

First, Luc Girouard from Sept-Îles sends us this timely little comment: “Would Prince Rodgers have plotted to kick Robert Saleh out in order to take his place? »

We all see what you did, Luc.

Then, there is a certain Nicolas B. from Laval who sent this: “Hi Richard. Great weekly column on football. Really entertaining. In addition, you allow my teenagers to read about football in French, which is still a challenge […] If you ever make a reference to my comment, my sports travel gang is buying me a beer on our next trip. »

You will demand a micro beer, Nicolas. Finally, there is Marco Campanozzi who can no longer hear about “mixing” and the right chair: “I can’t do it anymore!!! »

We are Marco.

It will be another great opportunity to lock yourself in front of the TV while pretending to do something constructive, because Sunday’s menu is particularly spicy.

Thus, Commanders in a state of grace will go to Baltimore to prove that they are serious, the Chargers will go to Denver in the hope of recovering after two defeats in a row, and the Cowboys will host the Lions, in a match that they can’t really let slip away, just to build something following the little miracle last Sunday night in Pittsburgh.

Don’t forget to check out the colors during halftime.

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