Highlights
- Tony Estanguet, a three-time Olympic champion in canoe slalom, is leading the charge as President of the Paris 2024 Organizing Committee.
- He balances his Paris 2024 Olympic chief role with being a hands-on father of three sports-loving sons.
- His family, including his son and brother, participated in the Olympic torch relay, highlighting their deep connection to the Games.
Tony Estanguet, the soft-spoken canoe slalom legend from Pau, has come a long way from his humble beginnings to become the face of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Estanguet’s journey to the top of the Olympic organization is as impressive as his athletic career.
He seamlessly transitioned into sports administration after winning gold medals in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, and London 2012.
His election to the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes Commission in 2012 set the stage for his current role.
The 46-year-old’s competitive spirit hasn’t waned.
“If I’m sitting here today,” Estanguet reflects, “it’s because I may have blown Beijing, but I didn’t disintegrate. I stayed calm, picked myself up, got my confidence back.”
Family Life Of The Leader Of Paris 2024 Olympics
While Olympic preparations consume his professional life, Tony Estanguet maintains a close connection with his family.
Married to wife Laeticia Estanguet, a teacher, the couple has three sons: Titouan (17), Gabin (12), and Léandre (11).
For Estanguet, family time means one thing: sports. “We can’t change,” he admits with a smile.
“With my three boys, we have a blast doing sports: skiing, mountain biking, surfing, and, of course, kayaking. They are very curious and ask me lots of questions, especially if I’ve ever met Kylian Mbappé.”
Nonetheless, balancing his demanding role with family time is a challenge Estanguet openly acknowledges.
“I won’t hide from you that it’s complicated. I try to go home to Pau every other weekend. And there, I devote 100% of my time to my children,” he shared in a recent interview.
The Olympic spirit runs in the family, with son Titouan already making waves in canoe slalom, having won a silver medal at the European youth championships.
Estanguet’s approach to parenting mirrors his own upbringing.
“In fact, I reproduce with them what I experienced as a child and teenager with my father and brothers. But I do not forget my homework. Thanks to them, I even got back into history and geography!”
Mr. and Mrs. Estanguet keeps a low profile and rarely appear on social media.
However, they have been spotted together at sporting events, including the French Open tennis village at Roland-Garros in 2016 and Grand Raid of Etoiles du Sport 2014 in La Plagne, France, on December 16, 2014.
A Torch Relay to Remember
The Olympic torch’s journey through France became a touching family moment for the Estanguets.
Tony’s son Titouan and brother Patrice participated in the torch relay at a special event at the Pau-Pyrénées Whitewater Stadium.
Patrice, a bronze medalist in canoe slalom at the 1996 Atlanta Games, joined other paddlers in carrying the flame along the course where he and Tony once trained.
“It’s great to see the Olympic magic on this whitewater stadium where I started,” Tony remarked, visibly moved.
“Seeing the Olympics and my territory come together to welcome the flame is very moving. It’s magical.”
Challenges and Controversies
Organizing an event of this magnitude doesn’t come without hurdles.
Tony and his team have navigated challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation concerns, and budget constraints.
Recently, an investigation into Estanguet’s salary as committee president has made headlines, though he maintains transparency about the process.
“I confirm there has been an ongoing investigation by the financial prosecutor’s office since a few months,” Estanguet stated.
He added,
“My pay was decided in 2018 and I was not in the room when the decision was made.”
Just So You Know
- Tony Estanguet holds a degree from the prestigious ESSEC Business School in France, where he focused his studies on sports marketing.
- Canoeing runs in the family – Tony’s father, Henri Estanguet, was a successful athlete in his own right, clinching medals at the Wildwater Canoe World Championships during the 1970s.
- He was voted onto the IOC Athletes’ Commission in 2012, serving as an IOC member for an eight-year term.
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