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Angelique Passebosc
Published on August 3, 2024 at 12:06 p.m. See my news Follow Voix du Midi Lauragais
Some follow them from their sofa, others from the stands. Mathieu Berlana-Lujan experienced the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the edge of the badminton courts at the Adidas Arena, Porte de la Chapelle. As close as possible to the action.
Summoned last December by the Organizing Committee of the competition, the resident of Revel has become what is called a National Technical Official (NTO) for the Olympic Games. Or more precisely, a line judge.
A big first for someone who is passionate about this racket sport that he has been practicing for 17 years, even though he has been judging departmental, regional, national and even international tournaments for many years now when they take place in France.
Judging Olympic matches, not such an easy task
It is therefore a completely different ordeal than those he has already experienced in the past that the Lauragais has just experienced. For six days – from Saturday July 27 to Thursday August 1, 2024 – Mathieu Berlana-Lujan was an integral part of the Paris 2024 adventure.
A great moment that he was looking forward to experiencing. “I was looking forward to getting out of my daily routine, discovering another routine, another environment, changing the atmosphere… It’s a real breath of fresh air!”, he confided to Voix du Midi Lauragais between two sessions, this Monday, July 29.
Videos: currently on Actu While he is taking advantage of the downtime to rest, Mathieu Berlana-Lujan has also not hesitated to make a few visits during his stay in the City of Light. ©Photo provided by the person concerned
And this is despite the fact that the stay and the mission are far from being restful. “The days are divided into three sessions (one at 8:30 a.m., another at 2 p.m. and a final one at 7:30 p.m., Editor’s note), which we sometimes cover all of. This can generate large time slots. This was the case on Saturday, July 27: the shuttle came to pick us up at 6:30 a.m. to take us to the competition site; in the evening, the last match ended at 11 p.m.,” explains the badminton player licensed with the Castelnaudary club. “Over six days of activities, I only have four sessions of four hours of rest.”
Remain exemplary in all circumstances
The task is all the more difficult as the line judges – and more generally the technical officials – must set an example when they are on the sidelines.
We are asked to be professional, coordinated with each other. There is a lot of pressure in this regard, especially because we may be required to appear on television.
Mathieu Berlana-Lujan, National Technical Official for Paris 2024
“We of course had briefings and rehearsal sessions beforehand so that it would be visually perfect. But in any case, we don’t discover anything, if we are there, it’s because we know our role, we know what we have to do,” he qualified. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Sitting on a chair, hands on his thighs, Mathieu Berlana-Lujan tried to display a neutral attitude. Like all the other line judges – there are 60 of them in badminton, spread over ten courts. It is difficult, moreover, to identify them. All are wearing the official outfit provided by the organizing committee: a black cap screwed on the head, a polo shirt and dark pants.
“A truly exceptional atmosphere”
Line judges must be impassive. But certain signs, although imperceptible on the screen, do not deceive.
I haven’t had the chance to judge a French match yet, but I’ve already been on neighbouring pitches during these first few days: the atmosphere is truly exceptional. When you hear La Marseillaise ringing out at the end of the first set, during the change of ends… More than 90% of us had chills.
Out of the question, however, to let his emotions show. “Of course, we want to turn around, to watch the match. But we have to keep our professionalism, to remain exemplary and focused. It’s a pride to wear this outfit.” So we might as well show ourselves worthy of it.
Take advantage of downtime to recharge your batteries
And to stay at the “top level”, Mathieu Berlana-Lujan took advantage of the rest time he was granted. “From what I understand, we will have the opportunity to visit the emblematic places of the events, but personally, I plan to stay calm, to relax. Taking a breather and disconnecting is important to be able to stay focused. Everyone feels tired,” he said at the beginning of the week.
For each match refereed at the Paris Olympics, Lauragais linesman Mathieu Berlana-Lujan must wear the official outfit given to him upon his arrival. ©Photo provided by the person concerned
Despite everything, the Revélois is well aware of living a unique moment. “Once I arrived at the hotel, I met friends that I normally only see once or twice a year. It was almost as if they were waiting for me, it was really nice. Then we also meet a lot of people, there are exchanges, cohesion, mutual assistance. Ultimately, it’s a bit like a family,” smiled the technical official on the other end of the line.
The “return to real life” is going to be difficult
He had no illusions: “the return to real life will be difficult.” “Here, we are like locked in a bubble, very concentrated. We talk among ourselves, in the evening we meet up to relax… The Olympics are a big party.”
Which he doesn’t hesitate to share with his friends via social networks. “I wanted people to be able to enjoy it too,” confides the thirty-year-old. Some were very happy to see me progress and participate in this event, for others, it’s a source of pride to know someone who takes part in these Games. I was also very moved by the support shown by my dad.”
Mathieu Berlana-Lujan judged his last matches on Thursday, August 1, before (re) heading to Lauragais, late Friday morning. A few days of respite, then he will have to resume the “routine”, meet up with his loved ones and colleagues, starting this Monday.
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2024-08-03 10:06:02
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