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Maël Gouyette, after the announcement of his selection for the Olympic Games: "the culmination of years of training!"
Short and to the point interview with Maël Gouyette, in the wake of the announcement of his selection for the Paris Olympic Games in the 1500 metres. An opportunity to get his impressions of the biggest international competition of his young career, as well as to discuss his training and how he managed to reach the highest level.
Interview conducted on the Font-Romeu CNEA track on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.
"What is your first impression following the official announcement of your selection for the Paris Olympics?
When I heard the news, it was an incredible moment. I called my family straight away to share it with them. It was an immense joy, a great dream come true, and today I feel ready to take part in the Olympic Games with the French team. Defending this jersey, defending our colors and our country on home soil in Paris. It's an immense joy, pleasure and honor to be part of this selection. It's the culmination of many years of training in which I've never stopped believing in my chances of succeeding, one day or another.
With your selection now in the bag, what's your next race?
I'll be taking part in the Diamond League event in Monaco this Friday evening (July 12) over 1500 metres. I think it's going to be a crazy race and my aim will be to beat my personal best of 3'32'67. I'm going to Monaco with huge ambitions and the aim of giving my all, as I do at every race I take part in. I'm hoping to clock a huge time there.
HOKA
SKYFLOW
"What has enabled me to progress over the years is really consistency in training. (...) I work hard at every training session and I have a good entourage around me which is conducive to my personal well-being."
Maël GOUYETTE
What does a typical training week look like for Maël Gouyette?
During a typical training week (excluding competition), I have a fairly substantial volume of 180 kilometers per week. I lower the mileage during competition weeks to 140/150 kilometers. I choose to keep my mileage fairly high during the week, which is what enables me to string races together during the season. A typical week consists of two threshold sessions, one Vo2Max session, one long outing and a lot of endurance between each of these sessions. It's the endurance that allows me to easily increase the mileage of my week.
What's your favorite training shoe at the moment?
I run a lot with the new HOKA Skyflow. It's a real nugget for everyday jogging and longer outings. It's super comfortable and I've been happy with it since my first strides in it. It keeps me comfortable during recovery. After hard training sessions, when you really want to recover and not further traumatize your muscles, that's when you really need a shoe like this, and when it really comes into its own. Dynamism isn't bad either. The Skyflow has the right combination of responsiveness and comfort. It's one of the best shoes for endurances.
Let's get back to the Paris Olympics. What are your ambitions on the track?
I'm going to the Paris Olympic Games with big goals and ambitions. First of all, I'm going to have to get through the heats and semi-finals to get to the heart of the big Olympic final, where everyone wants to take part. At that point, anything is possible, so I'm setting myself no limits.
HOKA
SKYFLOW
Final question. How do you explain your progress (from 3'40'49 in 2022 to 3'32'67 in 2024 over 1500 metres)?
What has enabled me to progress over the years is really consistency in training. As my coach says, "consistency is key". Training week after week on a regular basis, not getting injured, staying healthy and above all keeping my head on my shoulders whatever the situation. I work hard at every training session and I have a good entourage around me which is conducive to my personal well-being. I think that's the most important thing if you want to perform at the very highest level. I put all this in place every day, year after year, to reach the very highest world level. Today I'm at the bottom of the world ladder, and my aim now is to climb the steps to get to the very top. Consistency in daily training, high mileage throughout the year and focus are the keys to success in my opinion.
