Interview with Pauline Jacquin

Looking at nordic-aventure we can read the reason for your retirement : motivation problems. But it's only yet, in May that you announced it. Did you decide it after the end of the season ?

I was thinking about it already at the end of the season, but I wasn't sure. It's not easy to stop something you've done for the past 17 years. There were people advising me to continue and I wanted to think about seriously. That's why I chose to take the April to reflect on it, get some distance and decided all alone, far away from everything.

"Apparently … I was old already. In the age of 23 I didn't belong to the future anymore …" Another quotation from the interview with nordic-aventure. Can we see this as a criticism on your coaches and their "policy" ?
It's not a criticism, it's a statement. You can't force the people to believe in you and then they give time and opportunities to those they want to improve.

How do you explain those many retirements this year, especially in the French team ?
It's not fort he same reason that we stop, so you cannot give a general explanation … it's a year like every other year. The decision of Raph and Flo is not the same as Alex's, Yann's and mine as you can imagine !

You won 2 medals at Junior World Championships in 2004, one with the relay. 3 years after this success not a single member of this relay is still biathlete because Annelise Bailly and Célia Bourgeois finished their career in Biathlon too. How could this happen ?
I think we can speak of a sacrificed generation … in sport as well as in life luck and opportunities contribute to success. We just arrived in the wrong moment. We got no present.
At first they told us that we're too young to start in the World Cup then they wanted us to be strong immediately.
Célia and Annelise finished after only one year as senior ! To me that's a bit waste of potential. I don't want to play the frustrated, it's again just a statement.
It's different for the young arriving now, that is to say much better.

We know that you've been in Africa this spring. Would you tell us something about your experiences down there and your reasons for this exceptional journey ?
You are well informed !!!
Well, I wanted to combine journey, exploring a different culture and professional experiences. Welcomed by a teacher of Senegal I could go to school (in Dakar and then in the bush) : a first experience of teaching that's worthwhile.
I passed my stay among the population what allowed me to really get to know the African culture. The bush life is hard but at the same time it's recovering for us, people from the west. The human relations are simple and strong what's getting lost a bit in our culture.

To do relief actions … is this an option for your future ?
I think yes, I've got a couple of ideas. They have to mature a bit …
I want to stay in contact with the teachers I met because when I pass the exams to become a teacher I'd like to establish a kind of "partner class" with a class from the Senegal.
And then they inspired me for a project to build a hut for ill people. There's a lot to do … it's a new search for sponsors … to all readers !

Interview made by Anne Gassner in May 2007