This French B-School Is Represented By An Incredible 26 Olympians In The 2024 Paris Games

2024 Emlyon Olympic Athletes, courtesy photo

The 2024 Olympics are underway in Paris. One French business school has so many student athletes competing, they might as well be considered the home team.

Based in Lyon but with a campus in Paris, Emlyon has 26 Olympians competing in the Games that started last Friday – the most student competitors they’ve ever had in an Olympics. 

Breaking it down, 11 students are pursuing their Executive Master in General Management Online degree, one is in the in-person Executive Master in General Management program, seven are going for their Global BBA, six are pursuing their Champion of His/Her Life certificate, three are in the Unlimited Players Major Program.

One Emlyon athlete, Evan Fournier, is a free agent in the NBA, having played for the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. Fournier is getting an Online Executive Master in General Management.

SCHOOL’S STRUCTURE ‘SUITS THE CONSTRAINTS & REQUIREMENTS OF ATHLETES’

Evan Fournier, a French basketball player who plays for the New York Knicks in the NBA, is getting his executive master in management from Emlyon — and representing his country in the Olympics. Wikidata photo

No single sport takes the spotlight in this group. Students showcase an impressive range of events, from Basketball to Rowing, Track Cycling, Fencing, Soccer, Handball, Field Hockey, Judo, Para-Judo, Swimming, Pentathlon, Rugby, Surfing, Taekwondo, Archery, and Water Polo. All the Emlyon athletes are representing France.

While the athletes were busy preparing to dive, sprint, and kick into their events, we spoke with school representatives who had plenty to share about these elite students and competitors.

David Boccalini, director of marketing, sales & communication for Emlyon, says the school attracts athletes because of the high level of flexibility for both their studies and their sports, with strong logistical support from the school. “Emlyon’s structure suits the constraints and requirements of athletes, and this makes the difference,” Boccalini says. “This excellent compromise makes them recommend Emlyon to other athletes.” 

FLEXIBILITY IN BOTH ATHLETICS AND ACADEMICS

Emlyon has supported over 350 athletes in the past five years, including big names like Thierry Dusautoir, Sébastien Chabal, Frédéric Michalak, and Ronny Turiaf, who have made their mark in rugby and basketball history. 

Mickael Romezy, director of sports programs at Emlyon, says athletes are driven competitors who tend to thrive in academic as well as athletic environments. “Athletes are super experts in their field, coming to train and graduate from a major school like ours,” he says. “By having their knowledge and skills acquired through their career academically validated, this allows them to legitimize their place in the company and in their lives after.” 

By nature, athletes are always in search of excellence, Romezy says, which is why for both their studies and training they choose Emlyon as the ideal place to support them. 

Working on academic projects in parallel with preparation for the Olympics is very difficult, and each athlete has different needs, he says. “For some, the pace does not change from usual and they need to have a decompression valve with classes.” 

‘ACADEMICS DON’T DISRUPT ATHLETIC DEMANDS’

Other athletes have adapted to the deadlines and the workload, Romezy says — ensuring that as they came closer to competing in the Games, academics wouldn’t disrupt their dreams. 

Emlyon prioritizes the students’ needs and adapts to their agenda accordingly, he says. “For some who need to be 100% focused on their athletic objectives, we place the progress of the courses on hold and pick up where they left off in September,” says Romezy. 

They can bet that though they have graduated, Emlyon will be cheering them on for the next two weeks in the Games — and into their future endeavors.

Emlyon Student Olympic Competitors 2024

   Name    Program    Sport
  Yann Spillmann   Global BBA   Athletics
  Laura Tarantola   Champion of His/Her Life   Rowing
  Iliana Rupert   Global BBA   Basketball
  Evan Fournier   Executive Master in General Management Online   Basketball
  Timothé Vergiat   Global BBA   3X3 Basketball
  Mathilde Gros   Global BBA   Track Cycling
  Yannick Borel   Champion of His/Her Life   Fencing (Epee)
  Paul Allègre   Global BBA   Fencing (Epee)
  Ysaora Thibus   Champion of His/Her Life   Fencing (Foil)
  Delphine Cascarino   Unlimited Players Major Program (UNFP)   Soccer
  Amandine Henry   Unlimited Players Major Program (UNFP)   Soccer
  Griedge Mbock   Unlimited Players Major Program (UNFP)   Soccer
  Lucie Granier   Executive Master General Management Online   Handball
  Mathilde Pétriaux   Executive Master General Management   Field Hockey
  Shirine Boukli   Global BBA   Judo (-48kg)
  Marie-Eve Gahie   Executive Master General Management Online   Judo (-70kg)
  Assia Touati   Executive Master General Management Online   Swimming (200m Freestyle)
  Marie Wattel   Executive Master General Management Online   Swimming (100m)
  Valentin Prades   Executive Master General Management Online   Pentathlon
  Anne-Cécile Ciofani   Champion of His/Her Life   Rugby 7s
  Camille Grassineau   Champion of His/Her Life   Rugby 7s
  Johanne Defay   Executive Master General Management Online   Surfing
  Magda Wiet-Hénin   Executive Master General Management Online   Taekwondo
  Lisa Barbelin   Champion of His/Her Life   Archery
  Orsolya Hertzka   Executive Master General Management Online   Water Polo
  Nathan Petit   Executive Master General Management Online   Para-Judo

DON’T MISS HEC PARIS MIM STUDENT BALANCES ACADEMICS & OLYMPIC DREAMS AND  LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL TRIUMPHS IN THE MBA OLYMPICS