JEGOU Liam

General
READY FOR THE HEAT
He believes competing in the high temperatures expected at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be a challenge but that he is also well-prepared for the conditions. "It [the heat] will be quite difficult. I have raced in the heat before; I raced in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which was very warm. I was very lucky to be able to go to a training camp in February of this year [2021] on Reunion Island. The temperature and the humidity was similar to what we are expecting in Tokyo. I'm not too worried about it. I think we are very lucky in canoe slalom, [the heat] doesn't affect us as much as some of the other athletes that aren't in water." (afloat.ie, 01 Jul 2021)

OLYMPIAN SUPPORT
He has received financial support and advice from Irish slalom paddler Mike Corcoran. Corcoran was the first Irish C1 slalom paddler to compete at the Olympic Games, in 1992. "In 2018 I met him [Corcoran] at La Seu d'Urgell [Spain] where he competed at the Barcelona Olympics. We got talking and he actually decided to sponsor me for that year. He did the same the next year and this year [2021] as well. He's been my biggest sponsor leading up to the [2020] Olympics. I'm on the phone to him regularly. It's great to have him on board, he has loads of experience." (rte.ie, 07 Apr 2021)

FAMILY BACKGROUND
He was born in Brittany, France, to a French father and an Irish mother, and at a young age moved to Switzerland and then Ireland before returning to France at age seven. "I chose [to represent] Ireland when I was 14. I had my first international race and it wasn't really a decision for me, it was always going to be my choice. I can't really explain it, but I watched the rugby and football when Ireland played and I feel really proud to be Irish, and in more than just sport." (rte.ie, 07 Apr 2021; afloat.ie, 01 Jul 2021; newsreader.ie, 01 Jul 2021)

PSYCHOLOGY
He has worked with a sports psychologist. "It's a huge part of the sport. You can be as [good] physically, technically, as you want [but] if on the day you're stressed out, you're too tense and you push too far on your knee or you are too close to a gate it is over. So, [psychology] is ?a huge aspect, a huge part of the sport." (afloat.ie, 01 Jul 2021)

He became the first Irish C1 slalom paddler to win gold at a World Cup event, when he was victorious at the 2020 event in Pau, France. (rte.ie, 07 Apr 2021; canoeicf.com, 08 Nov 2020)