For the world championships, it could be read roughly on his black helmet. For the Winter Olympics in Beijing, the mark is less obvious but commentators like to point it out. Mathieu Faivre, who just won the bronze medal in the giant slalom, is an Isola 2000 skier, as is snowboarder Julia Pereira de Sousa Malibeau, who took part in her second games aged just 20. A source of pride for this Riviera resort whose athletes “reinforce notoriety”.
“For the Olympics, they represent the French team so they don’t have the colors of Isola 2000 but each time they pass, the station is mentioned in one way or another and that has an impact, assures Lionel Fernandez, director of the Tourist Office. First, with a reflex of consumers but also on young people and their practice. For example, the year Julia got the silver medal, there were a lot of little girls who signed up for snowboarding lessons. »
Isola 2000 “land of champions”
For Jean-Christophe Desens, the director of the domain, participation in this competition has “a huge benefit” for the resort. “Generally, it makes you want to ski. And it also highlights that Isola 2000 has quality infrastructure, such as competition slopes or the snowpark. For us, they are great ambassadors, they promote Isola 2000 internationally. »
Thus, the Maralpine station which is located at an altitude of 2000 m would be “a land of champions” as Mylène Agnelli likes to rename it, who supports athletes remotely on her Facebook. To pay homage to them, a wall was even inaugurated between Isola village and Isola 2000 this winter on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the resort. “We want to say that we will always be alongside our great champions but also with all the little ones who grow in the clubs. And we hope that in 50 years, there will be plenty of other portraits on this fresco [qui représente Julia Pereira, Tony Ramoin, Mathieu Faivre] “, had entrusted the mayor at that time.
The person in charge of the ski area adds: “We see that there are runners who are breaking through and who must be followed”. “And things are rushing for the next competitions”, assures the director of the Tourist Office, citing the ski club as the best in France and in particular, Romain Mari “to watch” in ski cross. Before concluding: “We still had three medalists in three Olympics,” he proudly concludes.
Source: 20minutes
