Team ENGIE

_{Axel: © Sailing Energy, Elodie: © French Pentathlon Federation, Alex: © Eric Bellande, Wilfried: © Stephane Kemp, Luka: © International Judo Federation, Madeleine: © Stéphane Bonnet, Pierre: © RiBLANC, Pauline: © Laurent Masurel, Raphaël: © Sebastien Besancenez, Poema: © Sailing Energy and Fabien Lamirault: © Arnaud Mellah.}

Among them (from left to right starting at the top), Axel Mazella (Kite surfing), Elodie Clouvel (Modern Pentathlon), Alex Caizergues (Kite surfing), Wilfried Happio (400 m hurdles), Luka Mkheidze (Judo), Madeleine Malonga (Judo), Pierre Le Coq (iQFoil windsurfing), Pauline Ado (Surfing), Raphaël Beaugillet (tandem Paralympic cycling), Poema Newland (Kitesurfing) and Fabien Lamirault (Paralympic table tennis). 

More than a hundred athletes supported by the Group over 30 years

Since 1992, the Group has supported high-level athletes. It initially focused its efforts on two well-established sports – women's tennis and athletics, with the emphasis firmly on talented young people. The majority of these have gone on to become highly regarded in their respective disciplines – such as Nathalie Tauziat, Amélie Mauresmo, Jean Galfione, Stéphane Diagana, David Douillet and numerous others.

Since 2014, ENGIE has been supporting athletes gearing up for the Olympics via the Performance Pact

The Group wanted to refocus its Team on athletes exclusively focused on gearing up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. ENGIE thus became one of the first companies to sign up to the Performance Pact – an initiative launched in 2014 by France's Ministry of Sport designed to boost France's performance at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Back then, the Group supported a team of five athletes. Solid support in line with its regional approach and its commitment to developing sport. Among them were Hélène Defrance and Pierre Le Coq, both of whom won bronze in the sailing event. In the run-up to the Games, they garnered a great deal of support from ENGIE employees, as well as during the Games themselves.

ENGIE renews its commitment through the 2020 Tokyo Performance Pact

In 2018, ENGIE decided it would once again be supporting around ten French athletes in their preparations for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, in line with its long-term commitment to support French sport – something in which it has been an active partner for more than 30 years.

Nine of them shone in Tokyo, taking home seven medals (including three golds). 
On the back of this achievement, and because of their desire to continue with their quest for excellence and to share it with their colleagues, ENGIE has once again decided to lend its support to them as they gear up for the next Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Team ENGIE in 2023

(based on where they appear in the photograph (from left to right, starting at the top):

• Axel Mazella (Kite surfing since 2020) is one of the best kiters in France. He has been European champion on three occasions (2019, 2020 and 2021) and World Gold Cup Kitefoil champion… and has enjoyed numerous victories on the ENGIE Kite Tour. He won a bronze medal in the 2022 world championships. Axel has his sights very much set on qualifying for next summer – despite the high number of excellent French kite surfers.
• Elodie Clouvel (Modern Pentathlon – supported since 2018) was braving a foot injury but still ended up ranking in sixth position in the competition – not far from the podium and the first Frenchwoman. Determined and tenacious, she gave everything she had: Elodie ended up winning the 2022 World Cup. Elodie remains an extremely serious athlete capable of competing in her third consecutive Games in Paris.
• Alex Caizergues (Kite surfing – supported since 2009) is a four-times world champion and the fastest kite surfer in the world (107 km/h). His target for the future is to beat the world water speed record. He is the only athlete in the Team not vying for the next major global event. Alex is a frequent visitor to the ENGIE Kite Tour podium in his category, and has co-founded Syrocco, the aim being to help him shatter the water speed record (his target is 150 km/h).
• Wilfried Happio (400m hurdles – supported since 2019) won his first international event last summer – a silver medal at the European Athletics Championships. He had a very good 2022, winning his fourth consecutive French championships and securing fourth place in the World Championships (Eugène). Wilfred is an ENGIE ambassador for the Lille area. If he continues performing as he did last year, he has a good chance of qualifying for next summer.
• Luka Mkheidze (Judo under-60kg category – supported since 2018) realised his childhood dream when he first competed, winning a bronze medal on the Tokyo mats. Luka arrived in France in 2010 having fled the war in Georgia and won the nation's hearts by winning the French Olympic team's first medal. Having torn a ligament in 2022, he will not be able to resume competing again before early 2023. A crucial year for our Le Havre ambassador.
• Madeleine Malonga (Judo under-78kg category – supported since 2018) confirmed her status as favourite by winning a silver medal in the individual event and a gold medal in the mixed team event in Tokyo. Two medals for her first competition – well done Mado! No victories in 2022, but she is still extremely well-positioned – she finished third place at the Paris Grand Slam, despite a disappointing performance at the World Championships (she suffered a surprise elimination after her first fight).
• Pierre Le Coq (sailing – supported since 2015), bronze medal in windsurfing at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and now gearing up to compete in the IQFoil class in 2024 – the new type of windsurfing class with a foil. He finished 14th in the 2022 World Championships in his hometown of Brest.
• Pauline Ado (Surfing – supported since 2018) for the first time that surfing is featuring in the Games, was unfortunately defeated in the eighth heat of the finals by the world number three. Pauline was philosophical about her year in the aftermath of the Olympics and won a silver medal in the ISA World Championships. In addition to her sports career, Pauline is regularly involved in initiatives to protect the planet through her role as a Surf Rider ambassador.
• Raphaël Beaugillet (tandem Paralympic cyclist – supported since 2020) won a bronze medal in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in the standing-start kilometre. François Pervis was his pilot when they delivered their best time. A very good first Paralympic Games for Raphaël. Following François Pervis’ retirement, Raphaël changed pilot for his next Olympics in Paris. Since 2022, he has been part of a high-performance two-person team alongside Quentin Caleyron. Together, they won several titles in the French Championships, including the Omnium sprint (speed, 200 m and kilometre) and finished in fourth place twice at their first world championship. They were disappointed not to finish on the podium, but given the speeds they delivered with such little time spent preparing together, there is much reason to be hopeful. They are expected to make good on their potential in 2023.
• Poema Newland (Kite surfing – supported since 2020) is a member of the France team and is the French number two. Having won a silver medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires (Argentina), she lived up to everybody’s expectations by becoming European champion in 2021. Last year was more nuanced – despite her finishing in sixth place in the last World Championships. Kite surfing will feature in 2024 for the first time. How she performs in 2023 will most likely be decisive.
• Fabien Lamirault (Paralympic table tennis – supported since 2020) has retained his two Paralympic singles and doubles championship titles won in Tokyo. That takes his total tally up to six Paralympic medals, including four golds won over three events. Fabien managed the year quite magnificently – quite a feat after some excellent achievements in Tokyo: in 2022, he became class 2 world champion for the third time. Next summer could be an excellent opportunity for Fabien to enter into the annals of French sport if he succeeds in retaining his two Paralympic titles for the third consecutive Games. 

What criteria does ENGIE use to select its athletes?

The athletes were chosen in collaboration with the Ministry and our regional representatives, helping the Group to extend its regional influence and meet the challenges of our major regions, as part of a local approach and a commitment to developing the local fabric. The selected athletes therefore serve as ambassadors, promoting the Group’s initiatives and breathing life into the regional fabric.

 
To be eligible under the Performance Pact, an athlete is required to satisfy the following preliminary criteria:

• be listed by their federation as a high-level athlete, an Olympic or Paralympic rising star in their respective discipline, with a chance of winning a medal
• be in financial circumstances which prevent them from being able to embark worry-free on their preparations to compete

ENGIE has been partnering French sport for more than 30 years and is reasserting its unwavering support for young French athletes across the country, helping them to perform and showcasing their talent.