Although canoeist Martin Dougoud likes chocolate, which is what the French call a 4th place, he would of course have preferred a medal in the slalom in the single kayak. He was 57 hundredths short of that.
"If someone had told me that I would come fourth today, I would have signed it," said Dougoud. But when so little is missing for a medal, "it's rather difficult at the moment." What frustrates him a little is the second goal, which caused him problems in qualifying, the semi-final and the final. After the first intermediate time, he was only in 11th place among the twelve finalists.
The way he reacted to the less than ideal start is no coincidence. The 33-year-old from Geneva has done a lot of mental work and has also practiced hypnosis. This helped him to release blockages. For a long time, he found it difficult to say that he was a top kayaking athlete. He also had repeated problems with motivation, even at the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, where he came 13th. That is now a thing of the past.
Dougoud is a symbol of what can be achieved with perseverance. In the junior and U23 categories, his level was merely average. Nevertheless, he decided to put all his eggs in the canoeing basket. He moved to Pau in France, where he found perfect training conditions. Swiss team boss Pierre Labarelle says of him: "He does more than others, trains a lot." Labarelle continues: "It's frustrating that nobody remembers a 4th place at the Olympic Games. But we are proud of him anyway. He is a role model and an inspiration for the rest of the team."
Former top canoeist Mike Kurt, who works as an expert for Swiss television in Paris, was also impressed by Dougoud: "He was incredibly strong mentally. In the semi-final, he made a mistake at the top, after which you normally get out of the boat and go home." He also fought back in the final after getting stuck at the top and losing a lot of time. "I don't think he can blame himself."
Kurt thinks it is now time to build a canoe course in Switzerland. He has taken up the cause. So there is the Bannwil whitewater park project. "At the moment, it's a financial issue," said Kurt. "That's why winning a medal would have been nice in terms of sporting policy." However, Dougoud still has one chance in Paris: in the new kayak cross format. "Anything can happen there," said Kurt.
