Rowing, climbing, fencing, gymnastics, swimming, para-cycling, para-swimming, modern pentathlon, taekwondo, triathlon: this summer, 12 students and young graduates from Université Grenoble Alpes were on the track for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Two and a half years after the Beijing Winter Games, the UGA's 33 winter sports specialists have handed over the baton to summer sports specialists. A new UGA 'delegation' for new Olympic and Paralympic emotions.

Two olympic champion titles and two bronze medals

Reigning Paralympic champion in the road race, silver medallist in the team relay and bronze medallist in the time trial in Tokyo in 2021, Florian Jouanny achieved new feats at the Paris Paralympic Games. The man who has dominated the world's handibike scene for a number of years was able to withstand the pressure of this major sporting event on home soil, and once again changed gear on the Paris 2024 tracks.

In front of his family, friends and fans, Florian Jouanny added three new medals to his list of achievements. After a bronze medal in the time trial, and a relatively disappointing one at that, he now has two Paralympic gold medals to his name! Florian Jouanny, who graduated from a vocational degree in industrial trades (IUT1) in 2017 and was the winner of the Fondation UGA's "Coup de pouce" scholarship, retained his title in the road race in Paris and became, with the French team, Paralympic champion in the mixed relay.

Sabre fencer Jean-Philippe Patrice won his first individual medal on the international circuit at the European Championships in 2024. Selected as an official replacement for the French sabre team, the possibility of an Olympic podium seemed pretty remote for Jean-Philippe Patrice, who graduated from a DUT GEA (IUT2) in 2018. And yet! After losing in the semi-finals to South Korea, the number one seed, the French fencers now face Iran in a bid for bronze.

In the grandiose setting of the Grand Palais, Jean-Philippe Patrice finally took to the piste in this last confrontation and joined his younger brother to strike the iron. Entering in the 7^th relay, he integrated perfectly into the rhythm of his team-mates to place his 5 touches, thus contributing to the victory of Les Bleus, synonymous with an Olympic medal!

Six Olympic and Paralympic Top 10s

In addition to these Olympic and Paralympic medals, a number of high-level sports students and graduates from the UGA also distinguished themselves with remarkable sporting performances.

World and European mixed relay champion, bronze medallist in the individual event at the 2022 European Championships and in 2023 on the WTCS circuit, Emma Lombardi took a dip in the Seine! After an exceptional race, the young French triathlete finished the women's triathlon event in 4^th place, just 6 seconds from the bronze medal! A great performance for a first-time Olympian "with a crazy crowd". A few days later, the student on her 3^rd degree in economics and management (Faculty of Economics) put in another performance on the Pont Alexandre III with the French team, finishing 4^th in the mixed relay, just one step off the podium.

Emma Lunatti, a member of the French rowing team and a 2020 graduate of the DUT GEA (IUT2) and Grenoble École de Management (GEM), was competing in her second Olympic Games at the Vaires-sur-Marne water sports stadium. Qualifying for the A final with team-mate Élodie Ravera-Scaramozzino, the member of Aviron Grenoblois finished 5^th in the women's double sculls event.


Individual European vice-champion in 2024 and 2022, Pierre Gouzou confirmed his excellent trampoline season at the Paris Olympic Games. Cheered on by the public at the Arena Bercy, the young student on a 3 SHIFT degree in Sports Training (UFR STAPS) managed to qualify for the Olympic final, where he came 6^th - a superb performance. Pierre Gouzou became the 3^rd French trampolinist to enter an Olympic final and achieved the 2^nd best ranking in the history of French trampoline at the Olympic Games.

Paul Jenft, buoyed by the enthusiastic crowd at the Le Bourget climbing venue, qualified for the combined final (bouldering and difficulty) after the difficulty event, in which he came 5^th. The only French representative in the men's sport climbing final at these Olympics, he came 8^th in the competition. A student engineer in his 2^nd year of the preparatory cycle at Polytech Grenoble - INP, UGA, Paul Jenft has once again proved that he is capable of taking part in major international events. Now all he needs to do is repeat the feat in the final.

Reigning Olympic vice-champion in the lightweight double sculls with Claire Bové, Laura Tarantola was competing in Paris for her second Olympic Games. A 2015 graduate of the DUT Carrières juridiques (IUT2) and Grenoble École de Management (GEM), the member of Aviron grenoblois and her team-mate failed to qualify for their second consecutive Olympic final. First in the B final, the two rowers finished 7^th in the competition.

Sporting performances and disappointments

In the City of Light, against a postcard-perfect backdrop, the UGA athletes enjoyed an exceptional sporting adventure, with some fine performances but also a few disappointments.

Nine Olympic medals, including two golds, at the Beijing Paralympic Games! An historic figure in French para-swimming for over 20 years, David Smetanine was in Paris for his sixth and final Games, with one goal: to win a 10^th medal. The French swimmer was competing in three events: the 50 m, 100 m and 200 m freestyle, in front of an enthusiastic Paris La Défense Arena crowd. Although his times didn't get him into the finals, David Smetanine, who graduated with a Masters in Management from Grenoble IAE in 2006, ended his career in style in Paris in front of his home crowd and with the determination to continue his commitment to the Paralympic movement.

Reigning African champion and member of the Burkina Faso taekwondo team, Faysal Sawadogo was under the glass roof of the Grand Palais in Paris for his 2^nd Olympic Games after Tokyo. Having qualified for the taekwondo quarter-finals in the under-80kg category, the young student on a master's degree in Development Economics (Faculty of Economics) lost his bout to the world No. 2 in his discipline, American Carl Nickolas.

European vice-champion in the 200 m backstroke in 2023 and silver medallist at the last French championships, Pauline Mahieu has managed to qualify for the semi-finals of these Olympic Games. Fifth in semi-final 1, the French team backstroke athlete, who graduated with a SHIFT degree in Sports Training (UFR STAPS) in 2023, was unable to reach the final and finished 11^th overall. After this Olympic summer, the young champion is continuing her studies this year on a Masters degree in Sports Performance Training and Optimisation.

Selected in the women's 4 x 200 m freestyle, Marina Jehl was taking part in her first Olympic Games. In the pools of the Paris La Défense Arena, the French relay swimmers were stopped in their heats and unfortunately failed to qualify for the final. Marina Jehl, who graduated in 2022 with a SHIFT degree in Sports Training (UFR STAPS), was nevertheless the fastest swimmer in the French relay.


World number one in the discipline on three occasions and an undisputed member of the French modern pentathlon team, Valentin Prades, who graduated from a DUT GEA (IUT2) in 2015, was taking part in his 3^rd Olympic Games and was hoping to win the only medal missing from his record of achievements at the Château de Versailles and the Arena Paris Nord. Despite medalling in the World Cup final last May, Valentin Prades missed out on the Olympics, finishing 16^th. A terrible disappointment.