Magazine 5 : Sport side

Success in sport: is it due to luck?

Talking about equality in sport is nonsense ... After all, each individual has his or her own abilities. Obviously, it will be easier for me to dunk if I'm 2.20 metres tall, for example. And that's also the beauty of sport, to see people succeed with seemingly inferior abilities. But if we put the physical aspect aside, sport remains the benchmark of inequality. The question is whether we ALL have the same opportunities in sport, or at least why we don't all have the same opportunities.

If you want to give yourself the chance to succeed in sport, you need a lot of work, and therefore a lot of time. A career is built from the outset, with training, whatever the sport. But do we all have this time? Depending on your school system, it can be difficult to find free time. And even if you take part in extracurricular activities, you have to make a personal effort to outdo others, which can also have an impact on your results at school. Some people can combine the two, but for how long? As Alizé Lim says so well in her interview "Champion de ma vie", you have to make a choice.

This choice defines our dedication to this sporting activity, and it involves a search for specialist schools in the chosen fields. This applies to a career path that is decided and confirmed early on. However, career choices can be made at any time in a person's life, and often prevent them from following a normal professional life if it is accompanied by a sporting life. Obviously, we're talking here about a professional or semi-professional athletic career.

Be that as it may, these choices are also defined by the financial capacity to invest in a sporting career. It's impossible to avoid this aspect, which can be lacking for many. Working time alone is not enough to build a career, and this is often why top-level athletes talk about sacrifices. Families decide how much time they give to sport, but also how much they spend, and obviously, by combining the two, the chances increase. Better equipment, better clubs, better coaches - all these factors make a career more accessible. Add to that talent, determination and time, and it's almost impossible not to end up at the top level.

However, it's not that simple. There are other aspects to consider. We've all heard it said that sport is 80% mental and 20% physical. This first part includes the elements mentioned above, because you have to stick with it, give yourself time, invest money, make difficult choices, and that forges the mind. But you also have to match your mentality to the sport you play. The environments, stakes and objectives differ from one sport to another, and that's why you need to look beyond practice and training. To give yourself an even better chance of success, you need to immerse yourself in, and above all learn about, your chosen sport.

Being curious is one of the main keys, in our opinion, to getting the most out of the time you invest. It's not enough to repeat the moves over and over again to learn them, you also have to understand them. Find out about the origins of the different schools and currents, the different practices, mix up the common points, find the differences between other athletes. This analysis helps to improve an athlete, but to be able to carry out such research work, you need access to the sport and an open mind.

To do this, you have to allow your mind to look beyond the popular domain. Even if it doesn't guarantee the lives of the biggest stars, taking an interest in what's going on outside our own sphere can help us to succeed. Limited access to sport makes this open-mindedness a bit more difficult. The fact that we are mentally locked in by a limited vision of the field of possibilities is a major factor in the inequality of chances of success. Quality transfers in certain sports could lead to great careers, but you still need to know about these sports (pickerball, florball, ultimate freesbee, kabaddi etc.).

Our final point, which in our view contributes to a gap in equal opportunities for sporting success, is the choice of role models. In our view, and going back to the aspect of access to sport, the media coverage (or over-mediatisation) of certain sports imposes models on us. How can you imagine yourself as a judoka if you don't look like Teddy Riner or David Douillet? How can you not look up to Kylian Mbappé? How can you think of riding without admiring Peneloppe Leprevost? The features are magnified, but the idea is there. The status of certain athletes pushes us to put them in the spotlight, but setting them up as role models is not just a media job, it's a social one too. It's always easy to make shortcuts, by pointing to social background, skin colour, or any other element in order to rally a population behind an athlete. But the choice of a role model can only be a personal one, since it's the person you want to look like, and in sport this often has an impact. In football, for example, it's easier to spot someone who plays like Andrea Pirlo in the middle of 10 Cristiano Ronaldos (which goes back to our point about curiosity). The magic of a role model is that they don't have to physically resemble us, they don't even have to belong to our sport, they can be chosen for their human qualities, for their behaviour, for their achievements.

It's certainly very complicated to put all these things in place, and even more so at a very young age... Success in sport is the result of group work, which is often the case with athletes in different fields who come from the same social background and sometimes from the same town (same neighbourhood etc). We are all able to give each other the best chance of achieving our goals. The best example at SBNN is young Sasha, who you've seen in our magazine since the first issue. A keen equestrian, she has shown us in just one year how to put a plan in place and give herself the chance to succeed. It's a story we'd love to tell you... But you'll have to wait and see. These facts show us that the inequality gap can be reduced by various means, and that it is up to aspiring athletes to optimise their approach in order to increase their chances of success.

Storytelling: the new marketing tool

Recently, not only spectators but also the sports media have been turning to data analysis to define the best in each discipline or category. Back in 2015, Caroline Le Moign (economist) showed us this aspect of sport, but we thought it was just a niche. Today, it's almost impossible to talk about sport without talking about statistics. It's even becoming acceptable to discuss an event without having seen the images, but simply with the figures that emerge. Is this a problem? We don't think so, but it does completely change the way we perceive it and, above all, the way we talk about sport. Discussions about the 'GOATs' (Greatest Of All Time) didn't seem to exist in the early 2000s or even the 2010s. We saw the greatest necessarily through their impact, and often beyond their sport, and for some through their record of achievements... But it was already very rare to hear that Paolo Maldini was the greatest footballer of all time, with 5 Champions League titles to his name.

With the advent of social networking, sport is now told day by day, and to get to know an athlete, you no longer have to wait for a portrait in a specialized tv show or magazine, you can discover him or her through new means on the web. And athletes know it! Thanks to this, everyone involved in sport can tell their own story, often referred to as "story telling". We are going to use three categories to present the forms that this can take, in individual sport, in athletic sports and in team sport.

For individual sports, we'll be looking at combat sports, mainly MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) and JJB (Brazilian Jiu-jitsu), as well as tennis. And the stories don't tell themselves in the same way in these sports. In MMA, at its most basic, the story is told around the fighter's record, just as in boxing, where it's easier to sell yourself as the best in the world if you've never lost. However, if you suffer a defeat, you check that the fighter in front of you is a champion, or a fighter with high potential, so that you can justify the defeat. These are the rudiments of good storytelling in MMA. With an organization that almost has a monopoly on the market, the stories are all the same, with the aim for the fighters of signing for the UFC. What will differentiate the fighters are their personal stories, in the sporting context, if they are champions in other disciplines, if they are specialists in certain techniques, but also in the private context. This is true of all sports, and deep stories are always fascinating. It's difficult to promote yourself if you don't finish your fights (submission or KO), and impossible to sell yourself with a negative record.

Muhammad Mokaev, undefeated in amateur and professional competitions, number 7 in the world.

As far as JJB is concerned, it's no longer about the record, but rather about the list of achievements. And in a sport with ranks, this makes the narrative almost easier. If you look at the social networks, there are many JJB champions, and there's nothing untruthful about that, but there are nuances. Often, fighters pile up their trophies in the different ranks (white, blue, purple, brown and finally black belt), or in the different weight categories. The white belt world champion is a long way from the level of the black belt world champion, but any of them can stand as world champion. Even without taking part in the world's biggest competitions, it is possible to make a name for yourself in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, thanks to a track record at national level. But what seems to be most important is where your rank comes from. Since there is no single entity that defines the passing of belts, you have to belong to a gym/dojo, whose teacher is legitimate.

Finally, for tennis, which is our last example, what matters is the ranking. Titles are too restricted to be of any importance in the narrative of an average player. What counts is the sequence of tournaments to get as many points as possible. And the system works in this direction, with some tournaments only accessible once you reach a certain ranking. To sell yourself, you need to be consistent, and reaching the quarter-finals of a tournament 3 times in a row is already considered a huge achievement. Sometimes it's even more impressive to play in a major tournament than to win an average one.

Mirra Andreeva, who has twice reached the last sixteen of a Grand Slam, the new tennis sensation.

The criteria change depending on the sport, and while the ranking remains important in individual sports, it may be easier simply to showcase your qualities in certain sports, or to win competitions in order to build up a record. The ratio between victory and defeat may seem insignificant to some, but to others it may be the most important thing.

It's a different story for athletic or performance sports. Like individual sports for the most part, the emphasis is on hard work and progress, even before the result. As in tennis, it's far too difficult to win a title if you're not one of the world's best, in which case the story is told by the media, so you have to find another angle. And unlike the sports described above, the way you tell your story is the same whatever the discipline. If we take the example of athletics, swimming or motor racing, the athletes have the same promotional angle. Highlighting the performance, in comparison with what has been done previously, either within the event or by the athlete himself. Without looking at the final result, where you might see the athlete 18th out of 30, if they set their personal best or even better their club record, they are considered and celebrated. In these sports with only one winner in each discipline, defeat is much more present than victory, and it cannot be an event that tarnishes the athlete's image, unlike in confrontational sports where it is simpler to highlight the winner. If the story is told differently, the public will also expect different things, which may attract, but also repel some. Storytelling for this type of sportsperson therefore comes down to this: I'm a swimmer/athlete/driver from such-and-such a club, holding the regional/club record - whose personal best in my discipline is X time - whose objective is to achieve such-and-such a time.

Ashley Tshanda, the first Kenyan athlete to take part in the Ski Cross

When it comes to team sports, you often have to put the whole history of the club/country or championship into perspective. We often end up mentioning the team that has scored the most points in the entire history of a championship, for example. Or we'll look at the titles won, but also the titles still to be won. A player's performance in these cases may be highlighted, but the team remains the center of the story. When Connor McDavid is having his best season with the Oilers, what matters is the loss in the Stanley Cup race to the eventual winners. Also, format changes are mentioned depending on the story that needs to be told... If we take football as an example, the records stand regardless of the format. If the competition was won in an 8-team format or a 24-team format, it's all put on an equal footing. However, this difference in format is sometimes mentioned when we want to highlight the achievements of certain players or teams, such as celebrating a country's qualification for the World Cup, when the format now allows more teams and makes qualification more feasible. Whatever the case, a club/country is sold on its record of achievements and its history, and it is always important to mention the players and generations who have made this history, but the entity of a club or federation must remain greater than these players. That's why today, even when clubs are bought out or merged, their past greatness and origins are highlighted. It's more complicated in team sport to build a short-term narrative.

It's fair to say that with all this over-communication on a daily basis, it's hard to tell the difference between a top-level athlete and an average or amateur athlete, but it also allows athletes to create traction. The way you follow an athlete differs from one discipline to another, which is why we believe that storytelling is more important than statistics. Is it more important to be the player with the most forehand winners, or to be the most consistent player on tour ? Wouldn't it be better to be the champion of your fighting category rather than the one with the most body shots thrown? With this abundance of figures, we often forget about performance as a whole, as well as an athlete's ability to evolve. If we're sold a team with the best attack in the league, we'll expect to see goals/points in every match, and if we don't, the match will be described as 'boring'.

The Iron Lady

We didn't get the chance to interview her, but we're going to take the time to introduce you to Germaine De Randamie. You might find it easier to understand why she didn't reply when we sent her a message (At least she have 'seen', she knows us).

A great kick boxing champion, Germaine is a pure Dutch product. Born in the working-class districts of Utrecht, Germaine grew up with her mother, who is still her greatest pillar. With a perfect record in kickboxing, a sport that doesn't have the culture of 0, she is classed as exceptional. Between 2000 and 2011, she cut her teeth on the European circuit, and who can blame her ?

She made her transition to MMA fairly early on, with her first fight in 2008, which left her with a taste of defeat... Taking a step back, she took up Muay Thai and kickboxing again until 2011, before returning fully to MMA. In the meantime, she built up her "Iron Lady" persona by knocking out a man in an exhibition match. With this history and background behind her, she has what it takes to be seen by the biggest organisations. So she signed with Strikeforce, a company that competes with the UFC, which had no women's category at the time. Only Julia Budd managed to beat her in the three fights she took part in the Scott Cooker's organisation. In front of a big wrestler with bulging muscles, GDR's limitations were revealed, but the UFC's takeover of Strikeforce enabled her to discover a new roster and new competition.

Despite a big disappointing loss against the rising Amanda Nunes (future double champion), Germaine was able to transfer the qualities of her favorite discipline to mixed martial arts. In the early 2010s, the explosion of women's MMA and the rise of Ronda Rousey made the under 61kg category one of the most interesting to develop. GDR didn't particularly stand out, but the arrival of Cris Cyborg, the cryptonite of all styles, prompted the UFC to inaugurate a new category. What better way than to bring together two former boxers, Holly Holm, with an unblemished record in English boxing, and Germaine De Randamie, with an unblemished record in kick-boxing. All of which sets the stage for Cyborg to face the biggest test of her career. A story written by the UFC based on the fighters' respective careers. The importance of the story is the key to understanding what happens next ...

It's following two victories, including one by KO over future two-time PFL champion Larissa Pacheco, that GDR was offered this title fight.

It was a victory that was to be forgotten by the company. By the time she was offered the fight, the UFC had already had 3 cancelations from the Dutchwoman, which angered the organizers, and when she was offered Marion Reneau for her first belt defense, De Randamie asked for more time to heal an injury. This was the last straw, and she was accused of being afraid of Cyborg and feigning injury in the fight against Reneau so as not to have to continue on the road against the Brazilian. The champion's declarations didn't help matters, as she said she didn't want to fight any athlete who had been convicted of illegal substances. Principles far removed from those of the UFC. Her title was withdrawn. After a year on the sidelines, she made a comeback, and what a comeback it was! A victory over Pennington (current UFC champion) and Aspen Ladd, presented as the MMA prodigy, in 16 seconds, at an event where she was headlining.

It was impossible not to give her a shot at the title following her 5-fight winning streak. She then met up with Amanda Nunes, who again beat her in a strategic battle. One of Germaine's particularities is that she has a full-time job as a police officer, and fights purely for pleasure. She explains in various interviews that she has no regrets about turning down her fight against Cris Cyborg on principle, and declares that she is not afraid of anyone, since she faces dangerous individuals on a daily basis. Another way of telling the story, far from the UFC narrative. And to prove her idea of fighting for fun, Germaine asks to fight (or accepts the fight, depending on your point of view) against the best grappler in the category.

Her aim: to show her progress in wrestling and jiu-jitsu. In the middle of Covid, and in rather complicated conditions, as she was still resident and training in Utrecht, she submitted Julianna Pena (who would go on to submit Sara McMann and Amanda Nunes in the following bouts). A message for the whole category! However, GDR is the main character in her story, she's the one who decides she won't go back to fighting straight away. She took the time to build a family, to open her own gym with her coach, after 10 years in MMA and a belt obtained after 10 fights, she is today, at 39, one of the most decorated fighters in combat sport.