Seychellois athletes back from Commonwealth Games |29 March 2006

After making history by being the first Seychellois woman ever to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, Thelermont did not have to wait long to see another Seychellois female athlete, Celine Laporte, emulate her.

Thelermont's bronze medal was in the weightlifting competition where she lifted a total of 205kg while Laporte's was in long jump, where she leapt a distance of 6.57m.

Being based in France, Laporte was not among the delegation who arrived at Pointe Larue airport Tuesday.

Speaking to the press on her arrival, Thelermont had this to say: "I took this competition as a challenge. I was not ready to enter into the competition because I was still feeling the effects of the chikungunya fever. I have forced myself into it thereby giving only 80 percent of my true worth, which had resulted into me bringing back a bronze medal for Seychelles, which I think is not bad. I am now thinking of switching from 69kg to 75kg and setting my sights on the African Championship in order to get a better ranking in the world."

Commenting on the game's atmosphere, she said she was touched by the hospitality of the Seychellois people living in Australia and the togetherness of the athletes in the Seychelles team and the camp in general. "Everything was in our favor."

"One last thing I would like to say concerns high level sports. I think for a game like the Commonwealth, one month training is not enough. I think the sports committee should sit down and see how long we should follow training so as to bring better performances for Seychelles.

They should not just come on television and say that athletes are not producing good results but should find out their problems and try to help them. I am doing sports while I am tired and I am ranked 15th in the world. I am not saying that I should stop work all together but if I could train twice a day, you will see the difference."

Her coach, William Dixie, who also complained about the preparation, said that it was pure determination that had made Janet achieve this good result.

Simon Lespoir, the head of the Seychelles delegation, said that everything had run smoothly and it was one of the best games he had ever been too.

"With the amount of training the athletes had got, we are satisfied with their results," he said.

The local athletes who represented Seychelles in Melbourne were Lindy Leveau-Agricole, Evans Marie, Céline Laporte (athletics); Hudson Mathieu (cycling); Steven Mangroo, Bertrand Bristol, Adrian Nanty, Shrone Austin (swimming); Georgie Cupidon, Juliette Ah-Wan, Cynthia Course, Steve Malcouzane (badminton); Godfrey Sultan, Janice Esparon (table tennis); Patrick Camille, Alvin Gabriel, Jovet Jean (boxing); Clementina Agricole, Steven Baccus, Julie Matatiken, Romeo Siméon and Janet Thélermont (weightlifting).

F.M.