This Thursday, at the Allianz Riviera, the fifth cohort of the “Ambassadors of Sport 06” (AS 06) was in the spotlight. Through this ceremony, the department supports and congratulates its young talents who won medals last year.
Once again, the new generation from the Azure Coast reached great heights. In 2016, they were 137 young athletes, aged 11 to 16, who became ambassadors. In 2017, the number has increased to 170—a record breaking achievement. These budding champions have won 204 national titles across 21 different disciplines.
To these 170 representatives, 27 high-level athletes in skiing and sailing are added, along with 50 international medalists: Loïc Bruni, double world champion in downhill mountain biking, Charlotte Bonnet, European short course swimming champion and mentor of the previous AS 06 cohort, and Maxime Montaggioni, world champion in para-snowboarding.
In total, more than 200 athletes were awarded by their mentor, Émilie Fer, Olympic champion in slalom kayak at the London 2012 Games. “It’s impressive to see all these young French champions and more,” she said. “It promises beautiful medals for the future.”
Julia Pereira as a Special Guest
Recently crowned vice Olympic champion in snowboard cross at the Pyeongchang Winter Games, Julia Pereira, with her silver medal around her neck, also received her distinctive title.
At the end of the ceremony, Charles-Ange Ginésy, President of the Alpes-Maritimes Department, and Eric Ciotti, deputy, suggested that the next cohort of “Ambassadors of Sport 06” be named after Julia Pereira. A proposal that the snowboarder, affiliated with Isola 2000, accepted with “honor and great pleasure.”
