Freestyle: “I feel like I’m being punished,” Kevin Rolland rants in his federation.

Words that don’t work for Kevin Rolland. Barely qualified for the World Freestyle Championships this weekend in Bakuriani, Georgia, the Sochi 2014 bronze medalist, who has been absent from the circuit since his 6th place at the Beijing Games a year ago, reacted to Eurosport with the words of his FFS manager Fabien Bertrand. “I didn’t feel respected,” said the Savoyard, in particular.

“He put his run back from the Sochi Games (where he won bronze) and told himself he still had the level. After that he asked us if we could check him in. And given his track record and experience, it was hard to say no. But it’s not about giving him coaching. Greg Guene (France freestyle coach) should focus on slopestyle and then big air. Moreover, nothing is expected from him in terms of results. »

The last line that made Kevin Rolland react: “I feel like I’m being punished. I have been participating in World Cups since 2006. I brought five world titles, three Crystal Globes, an Olympic medal, and I’m not talking about the X Games. I still think I played this game. I have coaches in Georgia, but with this decision, the members of the federation decided that they could not come and train me, because they think that I no longer have a place here. »

“I don’t want to complain either, even if it hurts my ego a little,” he adds. I’m actually used to getting nothing from the federation. For several years I even had to pay my coach. But I wanted to show how they treat us, because the exit was shocking. Fabien Bertrand even told my coach that if I want to change that, I have to pay him personally. Which is absurd. After all, without a coach, I can do it. I just need a pair of skis and then I have the determination. I repeat: this episode is the same as all these years. This is the icing on the cake. »

Seriously injured after falling in La Plagne in early May 2019 during an attempt to set a world record for a quarter pipe, the Bourg Saint Maurice native suffered multiple fractures (of the pelvis and ribs), causing perforation of the lungs, and a head injury with hemorrhage. . His coma lasted three days and he quickly got back on the skis: “I like the pipe, I feel in good shape at the moment. When I look at the competitions of the last few months, I think that I still have the opportunity to compete. I’m not saying I’m going to be world champion, but I think I’ll manage to be at the level of some of the headliners, if everything goes according to plan. Therefore, I am not going to engage in figuration. »