# Alpine skiing, biathlon, snowboarding: the club producing champions on the international circuits

Several athletes from Les Menuires compete for the resort on international circuits, including the European Cup, the World Cup and the Freeride World Tour. They come from the MenuirElites section of the Club des Sports des Menuires, the body bringing together the club's elite athletes across all disciplines.

## Athletes competing on international circuits

The MenuirElites section brings together athletes across several mountain disciplines. In Alpine skiing, they include Loïs Abouly, Loévan Parand and Lénaëlle Parand. In cross-country skiing, the club is represented by Victor Cullet Calderini and Milhan Laissus, while Martin Botet competes in biathlon. Snowboard cross features several athletes from Les Menuires, among them Margaux Herpin, Guillaume Herpin, Lyse Lainé and Thaïs Epenoy. Norah Scott Labbe competes in freestyle snowboarding and Mathilde Brodier in ski cross. The club also highlights athletes who have shaped its history, including Mélanie Suchet and Frédéric Covili in Alpine skiing, Vincent Jay in biathlon and Renaud Jay in cross-country skiing.

## A club founded in 1946, built up over the decades

The Club des Sports des Menuires began as the Association Sportive de Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, founded in 1946. In 1975, that association became the Club des Sports et Loisirs des Menuires, the same year the Ski Club des Belleville was founded. The club's Nordic section was created in 1982. In 1990, the Club des Sports et Loisirs des Menuires became the Club des Sports des Menuires, with the ski club's official integration. The snowboard section was created during the 1990s. The club now has more than 600 registered members and develops sport and competition across four sections: Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding and cycling (mountain biking).

## Six sections and a pathway suited to every age

The Club des Sports des Menuires organises its activity around six sections, split between the competition squads (Alpine section, Nordic section, snowboard section, mountain-biking section) and the Esprit Club programme. Esprit Club is open to young people aged three to 18 and over, whatever their level or discipline, and runs through three pathways. The Pré Club pathway, with 98 members, lets children discover different snow sports from an early age before moving into a suitable section. The Compétition pathway, with 65 young people, is for those who want to improve and take part in competition without necessarily aiming for elite level. The Loisir pathway, with 18 members, is for those who ski for enjoyment, with no competitive aim. The club also offers bespoke packages for businesses and groups, run in partnership with the piste patrol service, the École du Ski Français and the guides' office.

## The Olympic stadium, a training and competition venue

The Olympic stadium at Les Menuires has hosted 183 competitions: 128 races organised by the École du Ski Français, 25 races sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Ski — including U16 European Championships, U18 French Championships and the super-G of the Masters World Championships — and nine races run by the Fédération Française d'Athlétisme, including one in snowboarding and one in Nordic skiing. Tests organised by the École du Ski Français account for 70.3% of all competitions held at the stadium. Every three years, the Olympic stadium also hosts the Ski Open Coq d'Or, a national competition open to the U12 and U14 categories, organised by the Club des Sports, the École du Ski Français des Menuires and the Syndicat National des Moniteurs du Ski Français. Beyond competitions, the stadium serves as a training venue for the Club des Sports, clubs affiliated to the Fédération Française de Ski, school groups and professional groups, hosting 1,081 half-day training sessions in total.

## Key points

- The MenuirElites section of the Club des Sports des Menuires brings together athletes from the resort competing internationally in Alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, snowboard cross, freestyle snowboarding and ski cross.
- The Club des Sports des Menuires, which grew out of the Association Sportive de Saint-Martin-de-Belleville founded in 1946, now has more than 600 registered members across four sections: Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing, snowboarding and mountain biking.
- The Esprit Club programme, for young people aged three to 18 and over, runs through three pathways: 98 in Pré Club, 65 in Compétition and 18 in Loisir.
- The resort's Olympic stadium has hosted 183 competitions, 70.3% of them tests organised by the École du Ski Français, and offers 1,081 half-day training sessions.
- Every three years, the Olympic stadium hosts the Ski Open Coq d'Or, a national competition reserved for the U12 and U14 categories.
