FRENCH ATHLETES JOIN THE OMEGA SPORTING FAMILY
With next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games being hosted in Paris, the Official Timekeeper OMEGA has welcomed five French athletes to its sporting ambassador family. To celebrate the announcement, the group made a special visit to OMEGA’s HQ in Biel, Switzerland, to experience the brand’s renowned craftsmanship and heritage up close.
Each new face has been selected for their qualities of excellence, dedication, precision, and power – the very same values that OMEGA strives for in its own iconic watchmaking.
The athletes included:
Bassa Mawem – a speed climber who competed at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. As well as establishing the first Olympic Record of 5.45 seconds during the Speed event qualifications, he also won a silver medal at the World Championships in 2018 and won three World Cup stages in 2018 and 2019.
Ysaora Thibus – a three-time Olympian in fencing (foil) who won a silver medal in the team event at Tokyo 2020. Having claimed several medals in major championships, she also won the supreme individual title by becoming World Champion in 2022.
Romane Dicko – competes in Judo and claimed a gold medal in the Mixed Team event at Tokyo 2020, as well as a bronze medal in the +78kg competition. She became the +78kg World Champion in 2022 and is a four-time gold medalist at the European Judo Championships.
Julia Chanourdie – a sport climber who has achieved multiple medals, including a bronze medal at the World Games in 2017. She took part in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where climbing became an Olympic discipline for the first time in history. In November 2020, Julia also became one of only three women in the world to climb a 9b grade.
Alexis Hanquinquant – is a Paralympic athlete who competes in the triathlon competition. Before becoming a para-athlete, Alexis was an avid basketball player and a full contact boxer who competed at a high level, becoming French champion in 2010. His successes include a gold medal in the PTS4 event at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, and a total of six consecutive gold medals at the World Championships throughout his career so far.
Together, the athletes visited the OMEGA Museum, which includes a running track and heritage section dedicated to the brand’s role as Official Timekeeper of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. It was also a chance to see the state-of-the-art production facilities, as well as the Atelier Tourbillon, to understand the intricate mechanical craftsmanship that goes into each and every OMEGA timepiece.