“The demand is enormous, all sports combined.” CDOS 35 (Ille-et-Vilaine Departmental Olympic and Sports Committee) is categorical, the number of licensees in Ille-et-Vilaine clubs has exploded since the Paris Olympic Games this summer. Whether in athletics, football, handball, tennis, basketball or table tennis, “many clubs were full, even before the association forums were held”.
The reason? The Paris Olympics, of course! “The Olympics had a real impact, and the fact that it was in Paris increased the phenomenon because people followed the events more. And then there is a patriotic side.”
In table tennis, “the Lebrun effect”
The “patriotic” effect was in full swing for one sport in particular, table tennis. The performances of the French team, in bronze in the men’s team event, and especially of Félix Lebrun, in bronze in the individual event, boosted registrations at the start of the school year. “We are seeing an incredible increase in our numbers,” enthuses Renan Thépaut, president of the Ligue de Bretagne.
The numbers show it. In Ille-et-Vilaine, 4,392 people have already signed their license, compared to 4,268 during the 2023-2024 season. “This is the record for the department. We have never had so many licensees. To date, we have seen a 32% increase in our workforce. This is an increase that we are also seeing in Brittany because there are now 12,354 licensees. Which means that there will be nearly 14,000 at the end of the season, that’s unprecedented.”
And Renan Thépaut observed it, this meteoric rise is “the Lebrun effect. Today, everyone talks about table tennis thanks to them (Félix and his brother Alexis). Before, no one talked about our discipline. However, many people identify with them. » Add to that the Olympic Games at home and you get an explosive cocktail.
20% increase in numbers in judo
The JO effect, judo knows. An essential sport at each Olympics, and a major provider of medals for France, the discipline has, this year once again, benefited from the Olympics effect. But even more this year. “We observed a 20% increase in our numbers compared to last season in Ille-et-Vilaine, and in particular a sharp increase at CPB Rennes,” notes Thierry Guilmoto, president of the Brittany Judo League. We are going to break records.”
As is often the case, children are particularly concerned, particularly among the youngest, in baby judo and chick training, but not only that. “We are seeing, and this is new, that many adults who had never done judo in their lives have registered. What many of them tell me is that they saw the Olympics and in particular the final of the team event against Japan. It was one of the highlights of the Games and a trigger for them because they saw that judo could also be a team and mixed sport.”
“Some clubs were overwhelmed”
In volleyball, where the French team is also a gold medalist among men, the effect was especially felt among high school students, “and more generally girls under 18 years old,” explains the Volleyball Committee. Ille-et-Vilaine volleyball. We questioned the high school students and the Olympics effect is real.” This wave, however, has a drawback. “Some clubs have been overwhelmed, we are short of room slots because we lack equipment. » The other side of the coin.
