Round Table: The Valorization of Women in the World of Sport

A round table organized by ESC Clermont BS together with the Sport Féminin & Co Association, was held at the City of Clermont’s Maison des Sports on Tuesday January 10, and brought together 3 women sports personalities to present their remarkable careers and remind people of the importance of promoting women in sport: Corinne Diacre, Marion Rousse and Alice Modolo.

A Look Back at an Exceptional Event.

Chaired by the famous French pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie (Olympic gold medalist in 2012), this exceptional round table brought together three top sportswomen to discuss a major issue: the promotion of women in sport.

Beyond their exceptional sporting performances, these three women inspired the audience with their determination and their fighting spirit to overcome prejudices and show that women have their place in top-level sport:

Corinne Diacre, Coach of the French National Football Team, first female coach of a men’s football team;
Marion Rousse, Director of the France’s Female Tour de France, Zwift, and French road cycling champion;
Alice Modolo, freediving champion, holder of the women’s bi-palms Constant Weight (CWT) world record and the first French woman to reach -100m in constant weight.

« MEN HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR MANY THINGS BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT TO TEACH THEM »

Alice Modolo, freediving champion

Before an audience of experts and journalists, the three sportswomen talked about their passion for sport, their path to reach a professional level, their thoughts on professional reconversion after a career as a high-level sportswoman, their current jobs, the difficulties they encountered…

« I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO COME ACROSS SOMEONE WHO HAD SEEN ME TALKING ABOUT CYCLING AND OFFERED TO COMMENT ON THE VUELTA ON EUROSPORT. TO HEAR A WOMAN COMMENT ON MEN’S CYCLING WAS UNHEARD OF. A WAS THEN APPROACHED BY FRANCE TELEVISION AND I HAVE BEEN COMMENTATING THE MEN’S TOUR DE FRANCE SINCE 2017. »

Marion Rousse, Director of the Tour de France Women

ESC Clermont Business School and the Sport Féminin & Co Association Unite to Pay Tribute to Exceptional Women Athletes

« Sport Féminin & Co is an innovative project bringing together 5 high-level women’s clubs (ASM Romagnat Rugby Féminin, Volleyball Club Chamalières, Handball Clermont Auvergne Métropole 63, Clermont Foot 63 Féminines, ASM Football Féminin), to promote the Region, women’s sport in general, and sporting talents via multiple actions organized throughout the season since 2020 says Claude Michy, initiator of the association Sport Féminin & Co.

For its part, ESC Clermont Business School, which is strongly rooted in its region, has developed a ‘Sports Passion’ program, launched in 2017 with a goal of supporting local sports clubs, helping sportsmen and women to fulfill their life projects, and providing our partners with access to the ESC’s teaching resources to enhance their development.

The Event was Sponsored by the City of Clermont-Ferrand, A City Committed to Sport:

« Gender equality is at the heart of our public policies in the field of sport. In Clermont-Ferrand, we always put our words into action: The city of Clermont will play host to next summer’s Tour de France (Both the Men’s and Women’s) and the new name of the metropolitan ice rink, renamed Papadakis & Cizeron are both prime examples of this. Finally, our future sports and community center will bear the name of the basketball player Edith Tavert, proof of our desire to promote women’s sports, » explains Madame Rougerie, 1st Deputy Mayor of Clermont-Ferrand.

On the photo: Sylvie Goncalves – Head of Sports Club & Higher Education Partnerships, Alice Mondolo, Marion Rousse, Corinne Diacre, Anne Pats – Head of the Bachelor Program and of the ‘Passion Sport’ program.

Do You Know?

Initially created to meet the specific needs of the region’s major clubs and their training centers, including ASM Clermont Auvergne, ASM Omnisports and Clermont Foot, our Passion Sport program has grown over the years with the central leitmotiv of offering top-level athletes the possibility of a dual career project.

Individual and group coaching, adapted timetables, distance learning during sports transfers, 100% English language programs for international students… This system is now open to many high-level sports structures, but not only this. Our aim is to support the sports world in general and to multiply this type of partnership. Our objective is to participate in the development of a virtuous ecosystem that will allow local clubs to attract new talent thanks, among other things, to a wide range of programs and global support.