Sports and Academics at the Top. Just two months after the end of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics and Paralympics, more than 600 people gathered on campus on May 21 to celebrate the success of UGA’s high-level student-athletes in balancing their athletic and academic pursuits.
In the presence of numerous elected officials and representatives from the worlds of sports, academia, and business, the entire UGA elite sports community gathered this past May in the Weil Auditorium: the university’s 770 elite sports students, as well as those who support them throughout the year in their dual academic and athletic pursuits.
UGA SHN students before the ceremony began
From the 2024 Paris Summer Games to this winter’s Milan-Cortina Games, and including the Women’s Rugby World Cup, this ceremony provided an opportunity to experience or relive the athletic achievements of UGA champions and learn about their academic journeys. There were moments of shared joy and emotion both on stage—through numerous personal accounts—and on the big screen, thanks to the screening of about twenty videos.
Spotlight on the 2026 Olympic Games and the Inter’Val Program
The event paid special tribute to the 51 UGA students and recent graduates who competed in the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games last winter. With
11 medals won, including four Olympic and Paralympic titles, twenty-nine Top 10 finishes, a quarter of the French national team represented, and a third of France’s medals, the UGA is more than ever confirming its status as the leading French university for elite sports and for supporting students’ dual athletic and academic pursuits.
Camille Bened (first from the left), a bachelor’s student in Life Sciences, won Olympic gold in the 4 x 7.5 km biathlon relay with her teammates © Agence Zoom - Kevin Voigt
With Fabien Saguez, president of the French Ski Federation, in attendance, this ceremony provided an opportunity to highlight the
Inter’Val system Founded in 2004 to address the significant challenges faced by winter sports professionals.
Reserved for athletes competing in the most prestigious international competitions, this specialized support program is based on a partnership—unique in France—between the UGA, the National Sports Agency (ANS), and five national sports federations. This year, of the 770 high-level student-athletes at the UGA, 115 are participating in the Inter’Val program.
An evening filled with surprises and memorable testimonials
Among the highlights of the ceremony was the special appearance by Manae Feleu, a fifth-year student
e A first-year medical student at UGA and captain of the French national rugby team, she made a particularly strong impression on the audience. She spoke with great humility about her journey and how the university enables her to balance her demanding studies with competing at the highest level in sports.
From left to right: Manae Feleu, Aurélie Richard, and Jules Loewert
Aurélie Richard, a STAPS student at UGA who won four Paralympic medals in alpine skiing at the 2026 Winter Paralympics, also shared her exceptional journey and reflected on this winter’s competition. The ceremony also opened with a wonderful musical surprise performed by singer Jules Loewert, a high-level student-athlete at UGA, who brought emotion and creativity to this evening dedicated to talent and dedication.
Another highlight was the video message from Philippe Baptiste, Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Space, who praised the athletes’ performances as well as the exemplary work carried out in Grenoble to support their paths to excellence.
"Far Beyond the Podiums"
At the opening of the ceremony, Yassine Lakhnech, president of the UGA, emphasized how elite sports represent a valuable asset for the university, “far beyond the podium.” He highlighted all that elite sports contribute to the UGA in terms of the challenges it faces across all areas: education, of course, but also research and innovation.
From left to right: Yassine Lakhnech, president of the UGA; Eric Journaux, inspector general of education, sports, and research, and ministerial liaison for the Olympic Games; and Thierry Galindo, coach of the French ski mountaineering team
Throughout the ceremony, the Olympic and Paralympic Games were also discussed from the perspective of research and innovation in support of athletic performance. These research achievements and a scientific approach to training illustrate the role played by UGA in preparing for major international events, with the 2030 Winter Games already in sight.
It was an evening full of emotion, reflecting this generation of students who uphold the values of excellence, commitment, and pushing themselves to new heights.
