Sacha Theocharis is a professional mogul freestyle skier. He finished 9th during the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, 9th during the 2017-2018 World Cup and is a double French champion and will participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics. He also graduated from emlyon as part of the Executive Master General Management (ex-PGM). Focus on his journey.
The 2022 Winter Olympics will take place in Beijing, China from February 4 to 20. This is the second time that the Chinese city has organized the Olympic Games, after the 2009 Summer Games. Beijing thus becomes the first city in the world to host the Summer and Winter Olympics.
On January 17, 2022, following the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic and the increase in the number of infected people, the Olympic committee took a radical decision: not to sell tickets to the general public (residents or foreigners). . This is reminiscent of the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 and took place behind closed doors in Japan. A season later, the question still arises for the Chinese organizing committee. It is therefore with great disappointment that the general public will not be able to follow the adventures of the French athletes, of whom there are 87.
The academic and sporting career of Sacha Theocharis
Sacha Theocharis was born on November 19, 1990, in Bron. From a very young age, he discovered an unconditional love for skiing. At the age of 5, he was already skiing every weekend and during holidays in Méribel.
For several years, Sacha Theocharis practiced this sport for pleasure. It was at the age of 10 that he considered a more professional career and joined the Méribel ski club in the freestyle section.
Coming from a modest background, he rose through the ranks gradually, without the slightest pretension, until he was part of the French team. Despite a long road strewn with pitfalls, he ended up racing in world cups, the world championships and participating in the Pyeongchang Olympic Games in 2018. At the same time, Sacha Theocharis is pursuing higher business studies at emlyon in the part of the Executive Master General Management. He graduated in 2019.
Sacha Theocharis is today a national ski instructor (State Diploma in Alpine Skiing – 2017) at the École du ski français-Vallée de Méribel.
Sacha Theocharis, a high-level athlete
Sacha Theocharis took part in a World Cup event for the first time in December 2010. A year later, he finished 9e of the Meribel World Cup (parallel moguls). He also finished in 8th place at the world championships in 2015.
2017 marks the year he reaches the podium. This happened during the World Cup in Val Saint-Côme in Canada, thanks to a 2nd place won hands down. The same year, he ranked 4e in parallel bumps and 8e in moguls at the world championships. In 2018, he finished 9e world championships in moguls and 15e in parallel bumps.
Now 30 years old, Sacha Theocharis is on his way to the Beijing Olympic Games, with one goal in mind: to get on the podium, while having fun. He specifies, during an exchange with Sports Interview : “For the season itself, the objective is to find pleasure again. Last year I wasn’t in good shape. There were very few races and I didn’t manage to do what I wanted in competition. I want to get back that feeling of loving running. Of course, the objective is also to have the best possible races and grab a few podiums. As for the Games, it’s wonderful to take part in them but it’s even better to win a medal. It’s up to me to train well and succeed in my two most complicated jumps during the Olympic Games! »
The key years of Sacha Theocharis:
- 2018: 9th position at the Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games
- 2018: Double French mogul ski champion 2018
- 2017/2018: 9th position in the general World Cup rankings
- 2016/2017: 11th position in the general World Cup rankings
- March 2017: 4th position – Freestyle Ski World Championships (dual) – Sierra Nevada
- March 2017: 8th position – Freestyle Ski World Championships (single) – Sierra Nevada
- January 2017: 2nd position – world cup (single) – Val-Saint-Côme
- 2017: Vice-champion of France (single and dual) – Châtel
- 2016: French Champion (dual) – Méribel
- 2011: 2nd position in the general ranking of the European Cup
The Pyeongchang 2018 Olympic Games experienced by Sacha Theocharis
The Pyeongchang Olympics represented the first Olympic Games in which Sacha Theocharis would participate. The format differed fundamentally from that of the World Cups and consisted of “a first qualification with ten qualifiers, a second qualification with ten new qualifiers, then a final 1 in which twelve athletes qualify for final 2, and finally a final 3 with six athletes”, cas the French athlete explains to Interview sport.
During final 1, he was very satisfied with his performance: “ I thought I had a great run with good skiing and two good jumps. » However, the judges gave it a low technical score. When he saw the results, he was deeply disappointed, he saw his chances of reaching final 2 disappear. He still pulled himself together and realized that skiers were making more mistakes at the Olympics than usual. He then realized he was the last qualifier.
Taken by surprise, given that he thought he was not qualified, he did not have time to do his usual routine to warm up and concentrate physically and mentally. He says: “At that moment, I saw my coach who started to panic and asked me not to take my shoes off. At the same time, I heard on the organization’s walkie-talkie: “30 seconds before departure!” “. So I arrived at the start not being completely focused and not having been able to do my routine. »
In the middle of the track, Sacha Theocharis wondered for a long time about the choice of jump. He then lost concentration and, given the speed at which skiers go in the middle of the moguls, he went out. He thus finished ninth in final 2.
