French Olympic and world champion Denis Gargaud Chanut has decided to walk away from professional sport.
The Canoe Slalom legend has had a hugely successful career, winning multiple gold medals at the elite level.
Among them was the precious C1 title at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, continuing the proud French tradition and taking over from compatriot and superstar Tony Estanguet.
Chanut considered retiring after the 2023 season after not cutting into the French team for what would have been a home Olympic Games in Paris last year but decided to carry on for one more year after taking some time to reflect on the disappointment.
“High-level sport is over. It took me a year to turn the page on 25 years of my life. A professional life. But above all a passionate and exciting life. What I remember, what I take with me into my new life: commitment,” he wrote on social media.
“Not the commitment to success. But commitment as an intention, a driving force for creating, learning, understanding, and building.
“You can criticise social networks, but on a personal level, they serve me to record a commitment. A commitment that pushes me to get out of my comfort zone.
“Because yes, the top level had become comfortable. It may seem pretentious, but that's not the intention. But after 25 years in a field, you reach a form of ease, and therefore the risk of remaining average.
“And that's not the idea I have of my professional life. I want to be good. And to do that, you have to be motivated. And to be motivated, you need a driving force. Mine today is learning.
“At the top level, I had done the trick. We had to turn the page. Today, I learn every day. Sometimes it's dizzying, compared to the challenges of my customers or prospects. But I learn quickly. And I am committed.
“I am immensely grateful for the entrepreneurs I have met throughout my career and who have taught me so much. They will recognize themselves. I love you!”
He has won multiple gold medals at the World and European Championships and has featured on many International Canoe Federation World Cup podiums.
Chanut graduated from KEDGE Business School and is at the helm of C2 Assurances, an insurance company he founded.
Before that, he was also the founder of a sports nutrition brand named Duo Tonic.
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