Rowing: Erika Sauzeau, Laura Tarantola, and Claire Bové win medals
The rowers supported by Groupe BPCE companies delivered a fine performance at the European Championships in Bled (Slovenia) with three of them coming home with medals.
A return to the podium for Laura Tarantola and Claire Bové
Laura Tarantola and Claire Bové, two rowers supported respectively by Banque Populaire Auvergne Rhône Alpes and Banque Populaire Rives de Paris, left Slovenia with medals strung around their necks and, above all, with their self-confidence renewed, giving them a perfect start to the home stretch leading up to the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Laura and Claire had been silver medalists at the 2019 European Championships in Switzerland in the lightweight double sculls event before claiming silver at the Tokyo Olympic Games. But they failed to reach the podium at last year's World Championships. Disappointed with this result, Laura Tarantola and Claire Bové, like the true champions they are, came back with a vengeance at the European Championships in Bled, first winning their heat convincingly and then, after getting off to a good start in the final, coming in 3rd place less than three seconds behind the British winners.
This performance justifies all the hard work done with their coach, Frédéric Perrier, and shows that Laura and Claire are on the right track. And the gap with the frontrunners is getting shorter with every race...
A fine run for Erika Sauzeau
Another excellent result for Erika Sauzeau, an athlete supported by Banque Populaire du Nord, in para-rowing. Erika won a bronze medal, as she did at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, in the PR3 mixed coxed four along with Grégoire Bireau, Rémy Taranto, Margot Boulet, and coxswain Emilie Acquistapace. The French boat arrived 3rd behind the Germans and the British.
Meanwhile, Emma Lunatti, supported by Natixis Interépargne, and Margaux Bailleul, supported by Caisse d'Epargne Normandie, in a newly-formed crew, finished 4th in the double sculls final. Margaux and Emma competed together in the quadruple sculls event at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing in 9th place. Paired up more recently for the international regattas in Duisburg, this time in the double sculls, the two rowers came in 4th place, a fine performance for such a recently-formed duo lacking shared experience on this boat. We can easily imagine that, with all the work they’ll be putting in together, this boat could well qualify for 2024. As for Aurélie Morizot, supported by BRED Banque Populaire, she took 3rd place in the B final of the lightweight single-handed event.
All in all, these are very positive results for the French rowers, who finished 3rd in the overall medal count.
Photo caption: Laura Tarantola and Claire Bové at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
“We share the same flame”