An original skatepark and modules offering great possibilities for committed tricks promised a great final during the Fise de Montpellier. But the rain decided otherwise. The competition had to be canceled because of the weather this Saturday, the results of the semi-finals the day before thus crowned the young Max Berguin, 18, ahead of the Slovak Richard Tury and the American Ivan Monteiro, two sizes.
The French headliner of this international competition in Montpellier, Joseph Garbaccio, inevitably comes out a little frustrated, 6th in the semi-finals, he who had more technical and committed runs in the final to play for victory. “Between the program changes, the weather… It wasn’t the best conditions to skate well, but we got by, regrets the Frenchman, who arrives in the press area with his skateboard in hand, completely protected by a large black garbage bag. But it’s a very good training, you have to be super versatile, not repeat the same tricks, skate the biggest modules and do the most technical tricks. »
Paris 2024 objective
If Fise does not count for qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the eight-time French street champion has integrated the event into his preparation schedule. “Yes, it doesn’t count for the Olympics, but it’s a crazy event compared to the public, which gives us a lot of energy, ures the one who is used to the International Festival of Extreme Sports. There is a real exchange that boosts and feels good, which you don’t find at any other event in the world. In addition, since we have the same format as World Skate (the International Federation), but that doesn’t count, it’s really the competition where we can train, try things, without really having the pressure to miss for the Olympics. »
Not qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, the 25-year-old Le Havre, 17th in the world and a serious candidate for a ticket to the Paris 2024 Olympics, has been gaining momentum since last year. Garbaccio notably made an impression during his last outing on the international scene, at the World Championships in the United Arab Emirates, taking a promising 12th place, his best international result.
“After Tokyo, I had a period of lack of motivation but since then, I’ve gotten back to it, I’m taking back a lot of pleasure in skating, which I had lost a bit at one point, explains Garbaccio, also a Youtuber, who goes on internships in the South of France, in Paris or even in Rome. I skate a lot. That’s why I’m hungry here, I want to do well. I have to improve technically, raise my level to get finals and podiums, as Aurélien (Giraud, world champion) and Vincent (Milou, European champion) can do. »