Audrey Merle, student and world champion

Pain and tears... of joy. In 2015, Audrey Merle experienced all kinds of emotions. Having come close to a premature end to her season, the triathlete from UFR STAPS ended the year with a world title. And she can continue to dream.
The images are still running through her mind: the cold waters of Lake Michigan, the disastrous weather conditions that day over the city of Chicago, that last straight line at the end of the effort and then the interminable wait for the verdict of the photo finish. On September 18, Audrey Merle won the title of U23 World Triathlon Champion, just a few thousandths ahead of her compatriot Léonie Périault, another of France's great hopefuls in the discipline. "I didn't understand until 5 minutes later when they put the French flag on my shoulders". she recalls. Having arrived as one of the favourites, the young woman overcame the pressure to claim, at the age of 20, the greatest victory of her career. A career that could have been cut short in the depths of last winter, when health problems were piling up.

Injuries

"I was losing weight because my body wasn't assimilating nutrients properly, I was suffering from fractures..." she enumerates. It would take several months for the UFR STAPS student to find the cause of this dark start to the season. The cause of her physical setbacks was finally identified last May: a "banal" gluten intolerance. " At top level, the body is such a precise machine that the slightest problem has huge repercussions," says Audrey Merle, who admits that she came close to hanging up her boots because the pain became so unbearable.

At a high level, the body is such a precise machine that the slightest problem has monstrous repercussions.

This period is now a thing of the past for the woman who is now racking up top places on the elite circuit, rubbing shoulders with the best in the sport. "The level is much higher, it's hard to get out of the broth and the bikes are really hard. The arrival of the American bikes a few years ago has raised the level. It's a sport where weak points are no longer very welcome", she sums up.

Olympic goal

For a long time in the shadow of the boys, women's triathlon has taken on a new, more professional face, driven by popular enthusiasm for this sport combining swimming, cycling and running, which is enjoying record growth in the number of members. To keep up with the best, the native of Chamalières in the Puy de Dôme imposes iron discipline on herself. She trains up to 28 hours a week, not counting her university studies, which are essential to her. Enrolled in her 3rd year of a bachelor's degree, Audrey Merle would like to go into biomechanics research. Before this planned career change, other sporting objectives are also on the horizon.

There are many talented athletes, but mental fitness is essential in a competition like this.

But what else can a world champion dream of? The answer can be summed up in two letters: the Olympic Games. " It's a different dimension, with a huge psychological component," she says, aware that she still has some way to go in this area. "There are plenty of talented athletes, but mental fitness is paramount in a competition like this. Displaying impressive maturity at the age of 20, Audrey assures us that the Rio Olympics in 2016 come a little early for her generation, who are more likely to be competing in 2020. Nonetheless, the young woman continues to pick up points in international competitions in her quest for an Olympic bib. No pressure, then, but no doubt she's got something in the back of her mind...