The French Ski Team

I'm not talking about the crazy Russians, but the Austrian and the French are mad and most of it is directed at their respective alpine team's poor showing during the Vancouver Olympic. Since I'm no expert in Austrian matters, I'll focus today on a constructive prescription for a more successful French Ski Team. Let's begin with a bit of history; all started 42 years ago when the curtain fell on the 1968 Olympics and the French medal harvest.

The man in charge of the team, Honoré Bonnet (1919-2005), was a leader during his tenure that lasted from 1959 through Grenoble. He built a strong team, earned everyone respect and didn't put up with athletes' fuss. After Grenoble he left a huge void that never was filled as it should have. The Joubert-Vuarnet duo was asked to head the Team in 1973 and faced with a group of racers that proved too tough to manage, it ended up firing everyone, throwing the baby and the bath water.

Unlike what has been said or is still believed by many, the Team never fully recovered. Sure, France garnered Alpine victories and Olympic Medals here and there, thanks to gifted athletes and sheer good luck, but the spirit that made “L'équipe” so successful during the sixties was no longer there. Without getting into too deep into details, it seems clear to me that a post-Vancouver debriefing is in order, that the French Ski Federation should reflect on the outcome, go beyond it's close circle and invite a diverse and rich group of talented people to constructively move forward.

The participants should be willing to roll up their sleeves, openly share their great ideas, place goals on the table, reach a consensus on what to do for the foreseeable future, including the next Winter Games and the following ones, then search for another strong leader that will put the plan into action. This exceptional driver might already be there inside the Federation's operations or standing on the sidelines, I don't know and won't even speculate, but that person should become the new “big boss,” fully capable, willing and able to take total responsibility for both the program and the results; a new “Monsieur Bonnet” for the 21st century!