In Le Havre, the municipal ice rink is almost unnoticed in the upper part of the city. However, it deserves to be known since it hosts some of the world’s best athletes every week in the discipline of short track speed skating.
Since 2014 and the Winter Olympics in Sochi, every international competition has at least one person from Le Havre. “We found ourselves with 6 people from Le Havre in the French group,” recalled Vincent Jeanne, coach of the Le Havre Ice Speed Club (CVGH) and former member of the French team.
At that time, S&eacut;bastien Lepape was the driving force of the CVGH, participating in the Games with the French team. While he didn’t win any medals in the Olympic competitions, he still has three bronze medals to his name, two in the World Cup and one in the European Cup.
As S&eacut;bastien Lepape’s Olympic career ended in 2022 in Beijing, another talent from Le Havre, Quentin Fercoq, was just beginning. Recently, Quentin Fercoq represented the Ocean City at the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina. Like his predecessor, he has not yet won any Olympic medals but has two bronze medals and one silver medal in the World Cup.
“A decrease in members after COVID”
Vincent Jeanne mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the CVGH. “We had a decrease in the number of members after the pandemic. It hurt us a lot, like many sports associations,” recalled the coach. However, there are brighter days ahead: “Since I took over the club, we have rebuilt a small team of 15 members of all ages,” continued Vincent Jeanne.
Among these new members, the club has found promising talents such as Lyana Wasro, competing in the U13 category. At this year’s junior French championships in Lyon, she won two medals and ranked 3rd nationally. When asked about her goals, there was no hesitation: “The Olympics.”
An achievable goal according to her coach, even though there is still work to be done: “We will have to work on the physical, technical, and strategic aspects, but it is entirely realistic, and we will do everything to achieve it.”
If the CVGH provides skaters at the highest level, it also fills positions in the officiating panel. Alain Jeanne, Vincent’s father, got involved in officiating thanks to his son: “By making these trips to the ice rink, I got into officiating. It’s fascinating, you’re in the race without being in it,” said the referee who experienced his first Olympics in Beijing in 2022.
The referees also experience their share of adrenaline. At the 2025 European Championships in the Netherlands, he was knocked over by a skater: “It’s the most memorable moment of my career as a referee,” he said with a laugh.
[Context: The article discusses the achievements and challenges faced by the Le Havre Ice Speed Club (CVGH) and its members, highlighting their successes on the international stage in speed skating.] [Fact Check: The article mentions actual events, athletes, and competitions, providing accurate information about their accomplishments and experiences.]
