Emeric Martin

Started: He began playing table tennis in 1987 at age 14 in Vimoutiers, France. (Athlete, 26 Aug 2024, 03 Apr 2011) Reason: "My father was playing, and during holidays he organised a tournament and in the first round I lost against my mother. So one month later I decided to go in a club [so I could] win against my mother." (Athlete, 26 Aug 2024, 03 Apr 2011) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (Athlete, 26 Aug 2024) Additional Info: RETURN TO SPORT Having competed at four Paralympic Games between 2000 and 2012, he retired from competition in 2016. He returned to the sport in 2021 with the goal of competing at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. "My first Paralympic experience was in 2000 in Sydney and I came back with a team gold medal. Three more Games followed with Athens, Beijing and London, with medal colours of silver, bronze, and bronze [respectively]. During the COVID-19 pandemic I decided to embark on this adventure again. The Olympic Games took place in Paris in 1924 but there were no Paralympic Games at the time, so this is the first time that there will be the Paralympic Games in Paris and it would be really great for me to qualify. I was not lucky enough to have had my family in the stands during my previous Games, whether it was my parents, my wife, or my children, some of whom were not born yet. So it would be really good to have them watching in 2024, cheering on dad. To return after six years, at 50, you have to redo physical and technical work. Everything tactical, I still had. I was always a fine tactician. I have to pay attention to my body now. We don't react to hours and hours of training at 50 the way we react at 25." (ouest-france.fr, 15 Sep 2023; francebleu.fr, 28 Aug 2023) OCCUPATION He works as an innovation and digital project manager for EDF, one of France's largest energy companies. (Athlete, 26 Aug 202; LinkedIn profile, 05 Feb 2024)