One champion, one trainer: “Bastien Midol isn’t scared of putting up a fight”
The Caisse d'Epargne Rhône Alpes is supporting five athletes selected for the Beijing Olympics. For each of them, we asked one of their trainers to give a description of their respective athletes.
Bastien Midol, 31, is a member of the Ski Club in Le Grand Bornand, a ski resort in the Haute-Savoie department in eastern France. He won the Ski Cross World Cup in 2019 but had previously missed Sochi owing to injury and failed to qualify for PyeongChang in 2018 where his brother Jonathan won the bronze medal in an incredible race where three Frenchmen took the top 3 places on the podium. Bastien currently ranks 3rd in the Ski Cross World Cup. He will be competing on February 18.
Stéphane Deloche, the Chairman of the Grand Bornand Ski Club, coached Bastien Midol when he prepared for his diploma as a ski instructor in the National Ski & Mountaineering School. He emphasizes all his qualities as a skier and, in particular, his sense of commitment.
“Bastien started in the alpine ski section and rose through all the different stages of the alpine ski selections up to the international level. He then decided to go into ski cross where he saw a great opportunity to capitalize on his qualities as a skier, i.e. his commitment, his contact with the snow, and his outstanding technical prowess. So he switched to this discipline, which is a discipline in its own right requiring the qualities of an alpine skier in addition to the qualities specific to ski cross, which is the case for Bastien. Indeed, he isn’t afraid of engagement or putting up a fight. And, finally, in terms of technique, he’s not only a good skier but he also knows how to ride the bumps, and he’s agile in the air... And he’s a good strategist in races; he’s knows how to analyze the different situations and choose the right options.
In his private life, he's a good guy, discreet, not constantly looking for glory; he doesn't like ostentation. He enjoys nature and spending time in the mountains. He’s also very loyal to the club. Every year, we organize a competition for children, the Kids Cup, and he’s there every time to share his passion with the little children.”
Bastien Midol is a member of the group of athletes sponsored by the Caisse d'Epargne Rhône Alpes, a major partner of the French ski and snowboard teams for the past 25 years. Learn more about this commitment HERE!