Winter Olympics star in tears after ‘passing wind’ end gold medal hopes
French cross-country skier Jules Chappaz saw his Winter Olympic dreams come crashing down on Tuesday after a nasty bout of gastroenteritis left him unable to perform when it mattered most.
The 26-year-old, who had genuine medal hopes in the classic sprint, was knocked out in the opening quarter-final heat after finishing third.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the athlete, who broke down in tears during an emotional interview with France 2 following his early exit.
Chappaz had already been struggling with the illness before arriving in Italy for the Milan-Cortina Games, but the timing couldn’t have been worse.
French cross-country skier Jules Chappaz was left in tears after his medal hopes disappeared
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FRANCE 2
The stomach bug, which has reportedly been sweeping through the French squad over recent weeks, left Chappaz feeling dreadful throughout the competition.
“I wasn’t feeling well at all, I had a stomach ache,” he told France 2.
“I felt a bit nauseous and I had gas since the end of qualifying.
“My body is slowly recovering and it was perhaps a little too soon. Four years of work down the drain because of gastroenteritis.”
The Frenchman explained that while his symptoms had largely subsided, any physical exertion brought them flooding back.
Jules Chappaz was heartbroken after revealing: “Four years down the drain”
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GETTY
“From the start, I felt nauseous,” he added. “I don’t have many symptoms anymore but as soon as I push myself, I feel terrible.”
Despite knowing he wasn’t at full strength, Chappaz refused to sit out the biggest race of his career.
“I wanted to believe I could do it, otherwise I wouldn’t have come,” he said, fighting back tears. “I was here to win a medal, but unfortunately, things haven’t gone very well these last two weeks.”
The skier admitted he had underestimated just how much the illness would affect his performance on the day.
“I did what I could with what I had. My body isn’t exactly inclined to give its all right now,” he reflected. “These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, everyone was there for me.”
As well as Jules Chappaz, his fellow Frenchmen Lucas Chanavat, Richard Jouve and Theo Schely were all eliminated too
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GETTY
To make matters worse, Chappaz found himself drawn in what he described as potentially the toughest group, facing overwhelming favourite Johannes Klaebo.
Still, he wasn’t looking for excuses. “You have to be able to beat everyone if you want to win a medal. I was aware of that,” he said.
The competition proved brutal for the entire French contingent, with Lucas Chanavat, Richard Jouve and Theo Schely all crashing out at the same stage. The French women fared no better, as Melissa Gal and Julie Pierrel were also eliminated.
“My regret is my form,” Chappaz reflected. “I believed in myself until the very end and gave it my all, but it wasn’t enough.”
