At 21 years old, Steven Groussard is embarking on his most beautiful competition, the Elite French Championships, after spending two years in the second division where he was twice the French champion. Following his seventh place at the Masters in Courbevoie at the end of September, he is anticipating a tough competition: *”Skating against Alban Préaubert and Brian Joubert gives me extra motivation; it boosts me to be up against strong competitors such as the world champion. I am going to try to do my best with flawless programs. The goal this year is not to score a lot of points but especially to ensure all my triple jumps.”*
An ambition that may seem limited to many, but not to his coach, Sandra Garde. The technical director of the club acknowledges that her student’s participation is *”firstly a recognition for him, a pride”* and that it involves *”daily, rigorous training, especially since I am strict with him and the other young skaters.”* She specifies that indeed her goal is for him to *”perform his program, to execute his elements, without going beyond what he knows how to do every day.”*
Steven Groussard also admits that he spends 25 hours a week on the ice perfecting his choreography, which leaves him little time for other activities, but he doesn’t complain about it. On the contrary, he is happy to do *”something that I enjoy and to which I will dedicate another two or three years.”* As evidence of his love for skating, he is taking his state diploma to become an instructor and volunteers at NCAP. He has chosen sports to lead his youth, and it seems to have been the right choice since he is present throughout the weekend at the French Championships, aiming to finish in the top ten. We’ll find out on Sunday for the young skater from Nice.
