France captain Antoine Dupont admits sacrifices will have to be made during the season to accommodate his dream of representing his country at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
The talented superstar has been eyeing the switch to Sevens for some time and with the Paris event on the horizon he will have to forgo responsibilities for Toulouse and Les Bleus, which will include missing the 2024 Six Nations.
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Dupont understands that sacrifices have to be made, but he is prepared to do so in order to compete for the coveted Olympic medal.
“It’s been a while that discussions have been underway for me to be made available for this team,” Dupont told Canal+.
“We’ll have to adjust things; I won’t be able to play all the matches every weekend until the end of the season.
“Competing for an Olympic medal is really motivating.
“Sacrifices will have to be made to be able to spend time with the team,” he added.
Sights set on Paris 2024 👀🇫🇷#HSBCSVNS | @FranceRugby pic.twitter.com/YXFmgd6Ht4
— HSBC SVNS (@SVNSSeries) November 21, 2023
The lure of the games
The recently named Top 14 Player of the Season is not the only star on the hunt for an Olympic medal, with the great Australian flank also Michael Hooper making the switch.
Hooper’s move to Australian Sevens was confirmed last week with coach John Manenti looking to get the Wallabies’ most-capped captain ready to go for the Perth tournament in late January.
Dupont will be looking to improve on the disappointment of being knocked out of France’s home Rugby World Cup in the quarter-finals earlier this year with a medal in Paris.
The superstar made it clear how highly he values the Olympic Games and is excited to see his country host another massive global event.
“For all sports fans, the Olympic Games are mythical,” Dupont said.
“Being able to host such a sporting event in France, it is going to be an incredible party.”
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