A busy year... Article IG

CUCHERAT CAPS OFF BUSY YEAR

French veteran Yann Cucherat will chalk up Saturday night in Belgium for a gala, and starting Sunday will hit the slopes, mentoring a young gymnast at a ski retreat in the French Alps (article disponible ici

Then Cucherat will return to Lyon to celebrate the holidays with his family, but will be taking off minimal time from training for his third Olympics.

"2008 is an important year and I need all the luck on my side," Cucherat told IG. "I will take a break only for Christmas Day and New Year's Day."

Cucherat is France's only double world medalist to date; at the 2005 Worlds he won the bronze medal on parallel bars and the silver on high bar. He has won three European medals on parallel bars: the bronze medal in 2004 and silver medals in 2005 and 2006.

In 2007 he finished eighth on parallel bars at the world championships in September, but upset world and European champion Mitja Petkovsek (Slovenia) on the event at the Moscow World Cup in May. Other results for 2007 include a silver medal on parallel bars at the French International; fourth-place finishes on parallel bars and high bar at the European Championships; and gold medals on both events at the Blume Memorial held last month in Spain.

On Saturday night, he will take part in the GymGala in Ghent, site of the 2001 Worlds, where Cucherat and the French men's team finished an all-time high of fourth, just .2 behind the bronze medal-winning Ukraine.

This year's GymGala lineup also includes Steliana Nistor (Romania), Alina Kozich (Ukraine), Jordan Jovtchev (Bulgaria) and new rhythmic world all-around champion Anna Bessonova (Ukraine).

Cucherat's role in the Ghent gala will include a synchronized high bar routine with Dutch Olympic qualifier Epke Zonderland.

Beginning Sunday, Cucherat will pair up again in a more significant role: serving as the mentor for a young gymnast at the sixth annual "Les Étoiles du Sport" ("Stars of Sport"), taking place Dec. 16-21 at a ski resort in La Plagne in the French Alps.

Established by the French Ministry of Sport, the event was created to share knowledge and foster friendships among athletes of different sports and generations. Champions in 20 sports select a rising talent to sponsor in the same sport, and spend time having fun while emphasizing sporting values, including teamwork, effort and committment. (Previous gymnasts serving as mentors include two-time French Olympians Isabelle Severino and Dmitry Karbanenko.)

After the event Cucherat will head home to Lyon, where gymnastics has always been a family affair. He began the sport under the guidance of his parents, both gymnastics coaches.

"We usually all get together on Christmas Eve and spend a really nice time together as a family," Cucherat said. "The meal is festive and very nice. The wine complements each dish. Usually we eat seafood but there's no rule — every year it changes."
There is already one difference this year that Cucherat is happy about: After the meals are done, he will stay in Lyon. In September 2004, Cucherat moved to Paris to train and continue his education. Two weeks ago he moved back to his hometown, where he has resumed training with his coach of many years, Belarusian-born Anatoli Vorontzov.

The pair has a solid goal for 2008: medaling at the European Championships and at the Olympic Games.

"I've always worked for this, but gymnastics isn't an exact science," said Cucherat, who finished sixth on parallel bars at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. "I simply want to put everything together and not have any regrets. It's for this reason that I left Paris to return to train in Lyon with my coach, who knows me perfectly."

Cucherat, who turned 28 on Oct. 2, has already decided to compete in the 2009 Worlds in London, and hasn't ruled out another trip to the city for the 2012 Olympics.

"I wish to go through the 2009 individual worlds," he said. "Then, according to my motivation, projects and physical health, I will make the decision whether or not to continue through London 2012. Right now, I don't want to end my career at all."

— Amanda Turner

External Links
YannCucherat.com
GymGala.be
"Les Étoiles du Sport