VALETTE Laura

General
TEAM IMPACT
She says she is one of few active French athletes to have broken the 13-second barrier in the 100m hurdles, which she credits to being part of the training group of coach Richard Cursaz. "There weren't so many girls at this level in recent years. It was only Solene [Ndama] last year [2018] who went under the 13-second mark. She shook things up for all of us, as we realised that it was possible. There are six of us who have gone under 13 seconds. It brings more competition, so it's very positive. Compared to other European countries, we must be one of the only ones with so many girls running under 13 seconds. In my training group there is a lot of competition between athletes. [Coach] Richard is very kind and brings us a lot of serenity. This is what makes the difference and I think it is the most important. This is our strength. Knowing that we are not alone in the group is very important. When you have to surpass yourself during difficult training sessions, it's better being together. Benchmarks with partners are essential. Training on your own is demoralising. In a group, you pull yourself up, and that's how you surpass yourself every day." (francebleu.fr, 16 Nov 2020; athle.fr, 31 July 2019)

YOUTH OLYMPIC STEPPING STONE
She said the gold medal she won in the 100m hurdles at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, People's Republic of China, was a stepping stone for her running career. "It is my most memorable moment. It kick-started my career and gave me the desire to compete at the highest level. My family and coach came to China to watch me. I was on top of the world. But, I competed on a Friday and had to return to France to take my final high school exams on the Monday, so it was a difficult return to reality. But, thanks to this medal, everything went well from then on, and it became a springboard to the rest of my career." (runpack.fr, 10 Jun 2020; nmathle.fr, 14 Jun 2018)

FUTURE OCCUPATION
In 2020 she said she plans to focus on her athletics career throughout the 2020s, but is planning ahead for a career in teaching after she retires. "I am preparing for examinations to become a school teacher. I will take the exams in 2021 after the Olympic Games. I've spoken with my coach and my sports psychologist, and even if I pass the exam I don't plan to start working for another 10 years. But it allows me to think about something else other than athletics and that is good. I am only 23 [in 2020] so I have maybe another eight or nine years of running ahead of me." (runpack.fr, 10 Jun 2020)