Audrey Merle, student and world champion
Pain and tears… of joy. In 2015, Audrey Merle experienced a full range of emotions. After narrowly avoiding an early end to her season, the UFR STAPS triathlete ended the year with a world title. And she can keep dreaming.
Images are no doubt still swirling through her mind: the cold waters of Lake Michigan, the brutal weather conditions that day in Chicago, that final stretch at the end of the race, and then the endless wait for the photo-finish verdict. On September 18, Audrey Merle claimed the title of World Junior Triathlon Champion, beating her compatriot Léonie Périault—another rising star of the sport in France—by a few thousandths of a second. “I didn’t realize it until 5 minutes later, when they draped the French flag over my shoulders.” she recalls. Arriving as the favorite, the young woman managed to handle the pressure and, at age 20, claim the greatest victory of her career—a career that could have come to an abrupt end last winter, when health issues began to pile up.
Injuries
“I was losing weight because my body wasn’t absorbing nutrients properly, and I was suffering from fractures…” she lists . It took the UFR STAPS student several months to figure out the cause of this rough start to the season. The cause of her physical struggles was finally identified last May: a “common” gluten intolerance. “At the highest level, the body is such a precise machine that even the slightest problem has massive repercussions,” Audrey Merle explains today, acknowledging that she came close to hanging up her cleats because the pain had become so unbearable.
At the highest level, the body is such a precise machine that even the slightest problem has massive repercussions.
That period is now a thing of the past for a rider who is now racking up top finishes on the elite circuit, where the sport’s top contenders compete. “The competition is much tougher; it’s hard to break out of the pack, and the pace on the bike is really fast. The arrival of American riders a few years ago raised the bar. It’s a sport where weaknesses aren’t really welcome anymore,” she sums up.
Olympic Goal
Long overshadowed by the men’s sport, women’s triathlon is taking on a new, more professional look—a transformation driven by a surge in popularity for this sport, which combines swimming, cycling, and running and is seeing record growth in the number of registered athletes. To rise to the level of the best, the native of Chamalières in the Puy-de-Dôme department has imposed an ironclad discipline on herself. She trains up to 28 hours a week, not counting her university studies, which she considers essential. Currently in her third year of her bachelor’s degree, Audrey Merle hopes to pursue a career in biomechanics research. Before this planned career transition, however, other athletic goals are on the horizon.
There are many talented athletes, but mental toughness is essential in a competition like this
But what else could a world champion possibly dream of? The answer fits in two letters: Olympics. “It’s a whole different level, with a huge psychological component,” she says, aware that she still has room to grow in this area. “There are plenty of talented athletes, but mental toughness is essential in a competition like this.” Displaying impressive maturity at just 20 years old, Audrey insists that the 2016 Rio Olympics are coming a bit too soon for her generation, which is more geared toward 2020. Nevertheless, the young woman continues to rack up points in international competitions in an effort to secure an Olympic spot. So, no pressure—but she undoubtedly has a little something up her sleeve…