The Army of Champions: High-level athletes in the Army

High-level sport and the military world share many common values. Today, the Ministry of the Armed Forces has about 200 athletes who combine their elite athlete career with promoting sports practice within the Armed Forces and Defense values in civilian society.

Summary:

• Sport and army: common values
• What is the Army of Champions?
• Athletes in the Army of Champions
• How to join the Army of Champions?
• What happens next?

The practice of sport is essential to the military profession. While high-level sport evokes success and dreams, it is also, behind the scenes, the result of many years of intensive training, sacrifices, renunciations, failures and doubts. The soldier and the athlete share many common values :

• Courage;

• Mental strength;

• Self-sacrifice;

• Taste for effort;

• Self-improvement;

• Team spirit;

• Sense of honor;

• Loyalty;

• Patriotism.

In international competitions, as teams or individually, high-level athletes represent France and carry the colors of the Nation.

In the past, athletes were welcomed at the Joinville battalion, a military unit of the French army. This battalion was dissolved in June 2022 following the professionalization of the armed forces and the end of conscription. It welcomed more than 21,000 athletes for their military service including big names like Youri Djorkaeff, Yannick Noah, Henri Leconte, Emmanuel Petit or even Zinédine Zidane. It was in 2014 that the Joinville battalion returned to service under its new name : the Army of Champions. This consists of a "summer" company and a "winter" company including notably the French military ski team.

The Army of Champions brings together French high-level athletes. They can be enlisted by the different armed forces : Army, Navy, Air and Space Force or National Gendarmerie. These Defense high-level athletes (SHND) are assigned and managed at the National Defense Sports Center (CNSD) under the responsibility of the military sports commissioner. They participate in France's influence abroad during international competitions and at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. They can also be called upon to reinforce French military teams during national military competitions.

Here are some of these elite athletes who make up, or have made up in the past, this army of champions:

• Corporal (Army) Pierre LE CORRE : triathlete, world champion in mixed relay and long distance world champion in 2022

• Quartermaster Sergeant (Gendarmerie) Jean Quiquampoix : Olympic vice-champion in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Olympic champion in Tokyo in sport shooting in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol discipline.

• Second Lieutenant (Army) Martin Fourcade : five-time Olympic champion, double Olympic silver medalist, most decorated French athlete at the Olympic Games, seven-time crystal globe winner, 11-time individual world champion... An exceptional record for this biathlete.

• Warrant Officer (Gendarmerie) Clarisse Agbegnenou : currently the most successful record in French women's judo with two Olympic gold medals (one in team and one individual) in Tokyo, an Olympic silver medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and five world championship titles.

• Sergeant (Army) Florent Manaudou : swimmer specializing in the 50-meter freestyle, a discipline for which he notably holds an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and two silver medals, one in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and one in Tokyo 2020. He also holds an Olympic silver medal in 4 x 100 m freestyle and several world titles in different disciplines.

• Captain (Gendarmerie) Élodie Clouvel : in modern pentathlon, she won an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. She also holds a world championship title and 3 world vice-championship titles.

• Fabien Lamirault, contract agent at the General Secretariat for the Administration of the Ministry of the Armed Forces (SGA) : Paralympic table tennis player, he is a double Olympic gold medalist in para table tennis in individual and team events in Rio. He doubled down at the Tokyo Olympics, once again winning gold in individual and doubles.

High-level athletes must submit an application for integration into the Army of Champions to their respective federations (CV + cover letter). They must prepare a first-class sports project : Olympic Games, world championships, European championships or other international competition of equivalent level.

At the end of their sporting career, the Army of Champions athletes can return to civilian life. Retraining is also supported on the condition of having completed at least four years of contract.