Cross-country skier trained in the Belleville valley eyes 2030 Olympic Games

A valley that shapes a growing attachment

Milhan Laissus has always lived in the Belleville valley. "The more I grow up, the more I love it," he says. Gradually discovering the terrain and character of the area has strengthened his bond with the mountains. He speaks in particular of the Encombres valley, a wild landscape he associates with peace and renewal.

From starting out at the Club des Sports des Menuires to a calling for cross-country skiing

Milhan Laissus joined the Club des Sports des Menuires at the age of eight, coached by Fabrice Plaisance and Christophe Cullet. He describes that period as "a great group of friends," shaped above all by fun. The ski class he took at secondary school, combined with his first competitions, gradually gave him a taste for hard work. Cross-country skiing then became the obvious choice, a discipline that brings together what he values most: winter, wide open wild spaces, and skiing itself.

A discipline built on repetition and self-control

According to Milhan Laissus, pushing his own limits is a long-term process, built through thousands of hours of repeated practice in training and in races. He describes himself as "very scattered," with "a lot of strength and endurance." His challenge is to channel that energy and direct it at the right moment and in the right place, to gain precision and consistency.

A training environment built on shared roots

At the Savoie committee, Milhan Laissus is coached by Loïc Guigonnet, a former athlete from Les Menuires. He also works with Renaud Jay on the coaching staff. Sharing a common geographical background with his coaches, he says, creates a natural understanding, which he sums up as "we speak the same language."

The demands of elite-level sport and a goal set for 2030

Milhan Laissus acknowledges that elite-level sport "is not exactly restful": it demands a strict lifestyle and sometimes means sacrificing social ties or career prospects. He sometimes pictures the "normal" life led by his friends who stayed outside top-level sport. Yet he recognises how fortunate he is to travel, to build bonds with other athletes, and to ski at sites recognised worldwide — to the point of saying: "I wouldn't change it for anything." His main goal remains competing at the 2030 French Alps Olympic Games. Before that, he is aiming for a medal at the U23 World Championships and podium finishes at the World Cup, stages he considers decisive in shaping his career.

Key points

1. Milhan Laissus is a cross-country skier with the France B team, trained at the Club des Sports des Menuires.
2. He joined the club at the age of eight, coached in particular by Fabrice Plaisance and Christophe Cullet.
3. He is coached at the Savoie committee by Loïc Guigonnet, a former athlete from Les Menuires, alongside Renaud Jay.
4. His main goal is to compete at the 2030 French Alps Olympic Games.
5. Before that, he is aiming for a medal at the U23 World Championships and podium finishes at the World Cup.