This morning, the traditional pre-race press conference took place at the Négresco hotel. The press came in large numbers to meet several great professional triathletes. Among them: Eneko Llanos; Carrie Lester; Annabel Luxford; Victor Del Corral; Fred Van Lied; Alessandro Degasperi.
At the beginning of the conference, it was especially the presence of Marine Brenier, Yves Cordier, and the president of the Promenade des Anges association that captured attention.
The real surprise was the exclusive presentation of the 2017 edition’s Finishers medal by Sabine Giraudi.
Before even starting the conference in the large room of the Négresco hotel, Marine Brenier, the deputy from Nice, took the floor. She acknowledged the presence of partners and journalists supporting the 2017 edition.
She expressed her honor at sitting alongside Yves Cordier and Emily Petit Jean.
For her, the Nice Ironman is quite a special triathlon. It is the first major sporting event to take place on the Promenade des Anglais one year after the July 14, 2016, attack. An attack that cost the lives of 86 people and resulted in hundreds of injuries and traumas.
The Ironman should allow the people of Nice to reclaim the Promenade des Anglais. She expressed her happiness in welcoming so many partners and triathletes for this edition.
She then thanked the president of the Promenade des Anges association, as well as the legionnaires who decided to participate in this Ironman to help them. A commitment she salutes in her own name, as well as Christian Estrosi’s.
She went on to detail what the Ironman represents for the city of Nice: 2100 professional and amateur participants.
The security measures put in place, notably with the city of Nice, have been strengthened, she announced. She explained: “The direct aid from the city of Nice is 73,000 euros for communication, municipal police, and provision of equipment such as barriers and cleaning. Above all, it is an event of great magnitude. We are very proud.”
Finally, she thanked Yves Cordier, a local from Nice, for enabling the organization of a major event in Nice by 2019. She left it to him to discuss further.
Yves Cordier then took the floor. He immediately spoke about the specifics of this edition.
The number 13 represents the number of editions. He expressed his happiness at organizing another event here on the Promenade des Anglais. The climax will be seeing the first athletes start at 6:25 am in the Bay of Nice. He declared that the organization put its heart and soul into ensuring this project’s success.
Regarding safety, he was pleased to announce that this triathlon would be the most secure in the world. It’s something we owe to ourselves.
Christian Estrosi wishes, through him, to multiply large-scale events. Why not organize the World Championship in 2019?
The president of Mercedes then spoke. She expressed her delight at being a partner of the event for a little over four years now.
Another Ironman event she wishes to share with great values.
Finally, Sabine Giraudi presented the Ironman 2017 Finishers medal.
The medal will be awarded to the 2100 runners participating in the edition. She shared the story of the blue chair that began for her in 2009. She realized that the people of Nice were very attached to the blue chair, despite talking about it less. She worked on a project for a client. She was inspired by all the blue chairs that existed on the Promenade des Anglais. Events had spotlighted the chair, as it arrived after the massacre.
According to her, the chair represents a symbol of freedom.
She responded favorably to Yves Cordier to make the medal well before the tragedy. She hopes this medal brings good luck to all triathletes, as well as courage and energy.
The individuals present onstage finally yielded their places to the triathletes for the real press conference.
