© STADION-ACTU
Aude Clavier, on the road to new horizons
Athlete Aude Clavier claimed the French Elite Championship title in the 5000 m on August 2 in Talence. Her victory comes at the perfect time, as the 26-year-old with the bright smile is about to embark on new adventures in northern France.
“A chapter closes at INSEP, while another is already beginning,” celebrates Aude Clavier, crowned at the French Elite Championships in the 5000 m. Just days before the start of the academic year and the official announcement of her master’s results, she has only two events left before a well-deserved break. Crowned on August 2 in Talence, the Aix-en-Provence native has spent the year balancing the writing of her business law thesis at La Sorbonne with her career as a high-level athlete. A new chapter now awaits her. After five years at INSEP, where she had already left the sunny South for the gray skies of Paris, she is heading north to fully dedicate herself to her goals: preparing for the 2026 European Championships in Birmingham and, above all, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
| From a Late Revelation to Rapid Progress
Aude Clavier didn’t make an immediate splash. In primary school, she took part in cross-country races and placed among the top runners, without, however, dominating the discipline. In middle school, without joining the athletics program, she competed again in muddy conditions to help complete the team. Once more, the young runner glimpsed the possibility of a medal. Yet she kept her distance from running, which nonetheless seemed to call to her. Then came what was destined to happen: enrolled in an alpine skiing sports program at the high school in Barcelonnette, she laced up her 9 mm spikes for yet another UNSS cross-country race. This time, it was different. In her first year, she achieved excellent results, and in the second, she won. She didn’t stop there, even claiming the academic title in the Cadet 1 category. It was a turning point: the following year, she joined the Gap club to try to qualify individually for the UNSS French Championships. “At my school, they were good at skiing, but not so much at running, so it was impossible to qualify as a team,” she recalls.
A new era began for the teenager, who discovered a passion for middle-distance running. In a supportive environment, surrounded by peers her age and guided by an encouraging and reassuring coach, young Aude progressed rapidly. “I really liked what we did in training.” Step by step, she rose to the top level of French athletics. From her first, unnoticed participation in the French Championships, she became a leading figure, even a threat to her competitors. At the age of 23, in 2021, she achieved the qualifying standards for the European U23 Championships, where she earned a bronze medal. She could hardly believe it: “It was really my ultimate dream to be on the French national team. I had worked so hard for my first selection. I had been close for several years. I felt like I went from zero to everything in just one week. It was incredible.”
Following in the footsteps of Jimmy Gressier, who at the time had won titles in the 5,000 m and 10,000 m and with whom she has shared her life for eight years, the southern French athlete feels like she’s been “propelled onto another planet. His planet,” not hers. “I had never imagined that I could do this one day, wear the French national team colors, and do it in one of the most beautiful ways,” she recalls, smiling. Already thrilled by this first bronze medal, the anticipation for what comes next twists her stomach. “When I achieve something, I always want to go further. So I wanted to be on the French senior team.” Wings seem to be sprouting on her back, but not quite enough: the next dream requires more time. “It took me from 2021 to 2024. And now, here I am.” An achievement beyond her expectations, shaped by years of training and the support of her partner, the winner of the 3,000 m final at the Diamond League on August 28, despite the obvious difference in their competitive levels: “Coincidence or not, the year I met him, he won the U23 European Cross Championships for the first time. Experiencing high-level competition through him has naturally inspired and pushed me. And even though our career goals are completely different, I take my career at my own pace, from where I started, and that’s fine. In fact, it continues to motivate me.”
| Ten years of hard work leading up to the national title among the seniors
It’s only now, nearly a month after reaching her ultimate goal, that the Amiens UC athlete fully realizes: “At the moment, I was just relieved. I had put a lot of pressure on myself, since it was the first time I was in a position to fight for the title, not just as someone aiming for a podium spot. I knew it was possible, but the hardest part was still ahead.” The path to victory was complex, with her biggest competitor on paper being none other than Alessia Zarbo, a close friend. “I knew some of my strengths and understood I might have to rely on them. I had worked well on the 1,500 m and 3,000 m, whereas she focuses more on longer distances.” This win was a true challenge, especially as Aude Clavier recalls crossing the finish line: “It didn’t fully hit me immediately, because with the other girls, we know each other so well. I didn’t realize it. But now, it’s incredibly satisfying to say that the only title I’ve won is the most beautiful one.”
To reach this peak, the track enthusiast, who occasionally competes on the road when the mood strikes, went through difficult periods before finding balance during this particular “transition” year. “I had quite a few physical setbacks last year, including two stress fractures. With less pressure, it turned out to be my best year. I hadn’t been able to follow weeks of training consistently for a long time. By not pushing my body as hard, it worked better.” She never saw the Tokyo World Championships as the ultimate goal: her “major objectives for the season were the French Elite Championships and achieving good times at meetings.” By easing off compared to previous years, which required higher risk-taking and an intense training rhythm, especially last year when she had to push her body to its limits to try to qualify for the Olympics, the French champion found the key. It took her ten years to get there: “It’s really work and resilience that pay off. Even if someone isn’t naturally the most gifted, hard work will make the difference.”
The concept of hard work is far from insignificant for Aude Clavier, who spares no effort at all. She trains every day, 10 to 12 times a week. Her weekly schedule is intense: on Monday, she starts with a run and strength training, followed by another session and a run on Tuesday. Midweek, a long run suffices, before repeating Monday’s schedule on Thursday, sometimes supplemented with a few sprints. Friday follows the same routine, but the weekend is far from restful, with a run on Saturday and a long run, including threshold or at least active segments, on Sunday. Given this schedule, one might wonder what she meant by “balance.” Her explanation is clear and straightforward: “I worked during my afternoons off, in the evenings, or in the mornings before training. But during training camps, I only ate, slept, and ran. That was my life, except I couldn’t lose my rhythm.” Balancing her life as an athlete with her studies was not easy on a daily basis: “I’m lucky to have some ease in learning, but I have to admit it’s good that my master’s is finished because I did the minimum to pass. When I had to revise all my exams in May, I was completely exhausted for two weeks afterward. I couldn’t even put one foot in front of the other during training.”
| Between Passion, Friendships, and the Pursuit of Performance
Finishing very early in the top positions sparked young Aude’s love for running. “When you’re good at something, generally, you enjoy doing it. I got encouraging results quickly, better than the average person, which motivated me to keep going.” But her true source of motivation runs deeper, rooted in her personality: “What I’ve always loved most is pushing myself beyond my limits. I love going to the end of the effort and surpassing myself. Athletics is really the sport that allows that.” It is this mindset, this deep attachment to performance, that she draws on during moments of doubt or lack of motivation. “I really want to succeed. So even if this morning I was a bit lazy about going for 16 km at 8:30, I went anyway, without thinking, because I want to be strong for my competition next week.”
Where does this constant drive to push herself come from? One might think it comes from her father, a former rugby player, or her mother, who wasn’t very sporty in her youth but has become more active recently. “At 55, she’s in pretty good shape, so maybe genetically, it’s her who gave me the genes. I think she could have done pretty well in this area.” The desire to always go further isn’t the only reason Aude has become a true athlete, living a lifestyle adapted to her practice. “It’s a somewhat atypical life because we’re constantly on the move… Sure, there are lots of personal life events we miss. Unfortunately, our rhythm of life isn’t like everyone else’s. But that doesn’t stop me from being incredibly happy with what I do. Plus, I love traveling and discovering new places.”
Certainly, this commitment to athletics doesn’t come out of nowhere; it is built on a strong foundation: her friends. The relationships forged through club changes, competitions, national team selections, and gatherings organized by her sponsor, Adidas, are unique. Spending morning to night with Anaïs Bourgoin and Bérénice Cleyet-Merle at INSEP naturally strengthens these bonds. The core becomes tight-knit and united. But what happens when, to claim the ultimate title, you have to compete against one of your best friends? The individuality of the sport emerges for the twelve and a half laps of the track, only to fade afterward, replaced by the affection they have for each other. “We play a fair sport. Even in the call room, we’re still super close. When stepping onto the track, I just wanted to give Alessia (Zarbo) a hug because it was emotionally hard to race against her. But I had to put that aside during the race. We train hard for ourselves first, so I gave it my all, even with her in front of me. At the same time, I only hoped for one thing: that she would cross the finish line just after me. I wished her the best, but I wanted just a little bit better for myself first.” In other major championships, racing against training partners or friends is less harsh. One’s success doesn’t prevent the other’s; on the contrary, it motivates them to train harder and believe it’s possible. “Sarah Madeleine pushes us toward times that seem almost impossible.”
| New Ambitions on the Horizon
The title rings the bell and marks a turning point in her still-early career. Two weeks after her triumph, she finally improved her 5000 m time in Belgium. From 15:46, she came remarkably close to the symbolic sub-15-minute mark, clocking 15:05.19 in Oordegem (Belgium) on August 9. “It’s a huge gap. Even though I knew in previous years I was capable of better than 15:46, I hadn’t done it yet, so now it’s done.” This is just the beginning of Aude’s international journey, already “focused on other goals,” both at the European level and beyond. Starting the 2025 season, her aim was to plan long-term: not just for the upcoming season or the next year, but across multiple milestones leading up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. “I want to progress and reach a very high European level next year, as the European Championships will really be the goal, one of the first steps before reaching the global level in 2027-2028.” None of this would be possible without the valuable support of Adidas, Crédit Mutuel, and an investment fund from Amiens, which allow her to dedicate all her energy to her ambitions.
Freed from the weight of her studies, three promising years fully devoted to athletics lie ahead. “I want to take the leap and fully commit for three years. My boyfriend and I are moving to Boulogne-sur-Mer, where he’s from. I’ll train mainly there and spend a lot of time in Font-Romeu.” Not yet decided on her future coach, Aude Clavier remains confident: “I’ll definitely have remote coaches, and I can also get help from Jimmy’s childhood coach, even if we want to slightly separate our sporting projects and not have the same coaches.” Farewell to INSEP and the solo sessions behind her coach Adrien Taouji on the bike. “I should be able to train with the club’s boys. I think that will be an advantage, unlike at INSEP.”
Before stepping off the track for a few weeks of recovery, it’s not quite time for Aude Clavier to relax, as she still has two meetings left to break her personal records. She will compete in the 1500 m next week at the Trier Meeting in Germany and will close her season with a final 3000 m, not just any race, at the Gold Meeting in Beijing on September 7. What can we wish her? Beyond continued success, particularly securing a spot in the Olympic final in grand style, we hope she stays injury-free and keeps reaching new milestones, just as she has so brilliantly done this year.
Sabine LOEB
Journalist
