Two and a half years after missing out on his Olympic participation, Cédric Fofana is hoping to recharge his batteries by competing in front of his family and friends this week.
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Even though the young 20-year-old Montrealer was a little nervous when meeting the media on Tuesday at the Olympic Park swimming pool, he remained calm.
“There really will be the best in the world there, which gives the event more dimension,” he said.
An atypical trip
As surprising as it may seem, Fofana will experience his first World Cup in his life in Montreal. Because his trip was “a little atypical,” as he bluntly puts it.
Contrary to all expectations, the 3-meter specialist qualified for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Previously he had only competed in three Grands Prix and had never competed in the World or Pan American Championships.
“My first big international competition was the Olympics and it was a bit chaotic. It really hit me, it blew me away. It's been my dream since I was young. Everyone was so good. It was full of elements that only added to the stress. “I’m broke,” admitted the then 17-year-old.
Quebec's Cédric Fofana during training, Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in the swimming pool of the Olympic Park. Photo agency QMI, JOEL LEMAY
“It knocked me to the ground”
In front of the whole world and without his coach César Henderson for health reasons, Fofana's knees buckled on the diving board, preventing him from completing his final turn and causing him to complete his fourth jump on his back. A rating of zero appeared next to his name. He came last.
“It's really difficult because in my head the Games are the last competition you want to get to. Normally you don't start with that. It knocked me to the ground. It took me a while to get over it. I don't know if I was depressed, but I found it difficult to return to training. The competition I've been preparing for my whole life didn't turn out the way I wanted. I no longer saw the light at the end of the tunnel, I didn't see what it was about, why continue when it is like this,” said honestly the man who has sometimes performed better than Alexandre Despatie in the juniors.
Difficult to motivate yourself
After a break, the sensitive athlete returned to the pool. He says it took him two years to find the motivation again.
He took part in the Commonwealth Games in 2022, but failed to qualify for major events last year. Earlier this month, he finished 34th in his first world aquatics championship tournament.
“It wasn't easy, but we grow from it and continue to develop,” said Fofana, looking back on his career and at the same time wishing to regain his self-confidence at the World Championships in Montreal.
▶ The Canadian team consists of 12 jumpers at the World Cup in Montreal, which will be presented from Thursday to Sunday in the Olympic Park swimming pool. Six months before the Games in Paris, Olympic athletes Pamela Ware, Nathan Zsombor-Murray, Cédric Fofana, Caeli McKay and Rylan Wiens will be among those.