Growing up in Le Havre, France, Sebastien Lepape was ten years old when a friend introduced him to Short Track Speed Skating. Lepape was hooked immediately and pursued no other sport from that moment. All he wanted was to get faster and faster on the ice – which he did.
In 2011, a decade after skating his first laps, Lepape was an ISU World Junior Short Track Speed Skating Champion, having won 3000m Relay gold in Courmayeur, Italy.
Today, Lepape’s early passion has blossomed into a career which has taken him all over the world.
Sebastien Lepape (FRA) at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021 ©International Skating Union (ISU)
“Short Track for me is particularly fun. Just to race and be with my friends, go to the arena and try to win,” the 29-year-old said.
The Frenchman picked up 500m bronze at the 2018 ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships in Dresden, Germany and has been consistent on the ISU World Cup circuit over the past decade, overcoming a back injury that forced him off the ice for a year in 2011 after winning his junior World title.
Sebastien Lepape (FRA) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019 ©International Skating Union (ISU)
Now, like his rivals and teammates, he has overcome another year-long absence of competitive Short Track Speed Skating action and is happy to be back on the ice after the COVID-19 outbreak.
“This period was a little bit complicated because we didn’t compete so it’s nice to be here and compete again and I hope that we can experience some good things,” he said, accepting that the new normal means much less social interaction between races than at previous ISU events.
Sebastien Lepape (FRA) at the ISU World Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2019 ©International Skating Union (ISU)
“Living in a bubble is living only with us. It’s a little bit different to the usual because we don’t go outside, we don’t go with each other, so it’s a little bit different. But if it’s necessary to compete, it’s good,” Lepape said.
Turning 30 in July, the two-time Olympian has plenty of motivation to continue training four to six hours per day as he goes for his third Games in Beijing. Last year, Annie Sarrat, who has developed some of Canada’s best skaters including Steven Dubois, Pascal Dion and Maxime Laoun, took over as France’s national team coach, adding to Lepape’s inspiration.
Sebastien Lepape (FRA) at the ISU European Short Track Speed Skating Championships 2021 ©International Skating Union (ISU)
“Because of her I can’t stop my Short Track career now,” Lepape said.
