Sophie Kamoun

Sophie Kamoun
Personal information
Full nameSophie Marie Reine Kamoun
National team France
Born (1967-06-08) 8 June 1967 (age 57)
Sport
SportSwimming
College teamUC Santa Barbara Gauchos
CoachGregg Wilson
Medal record
Representing  France
Mediterranean Games
Gold medal – first place 1983 Casablanca 100m freestyle
Gold medal – first place 1983 Casablanca 4x100m freestyle relay
Gold medal – first place 1991 Athens 50m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1983 Casablanca 200m freestyle
Silver medal – second place 1991 Athens 100m freestyle

Sophie Marie Reine Kamoun (born 8 June 1967) is a French former swimmer who competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Early life and Olympics

Kamoun, the daughter of French Olympic swimmer Marc Kamoun, was born on 8 June 1967. She joined the swimming club CS Clichy 92 and saw success in 1983 where she won the French 50 m freestyle and a French relay title. She later competed at the 1983 Mediterranean Games in Casablanca and won the 100 m freestyle and the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay.

Kamoun represented France at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She qualified for the B Final in the 100 m freestyle and finished 13th overall.[1] She also was on France's 4 × 100 m freestyle relay team and finished 8th.

Post-Olympic life

Kamoun enrolled at the University of California, Santa Barbara and was a student-athlete on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos women's swim team. She competed with the Gauchos from 1987 to 1989 and was named a two-time All-American as part of the Gauchos 200 and 800 freestyle relay teams.[2]

In 1993, Kamoun retired from individual swims and was credited with 26 French swimming titles throughout her career.[3] The following year, Francis Luyce, the president of the French Swimming Federation, brought Kamoun on to handle communications.[4] She later became a communications director at Nike, Inc. in France.[3]

Kamoun was awarded the Knight rank of the Ordre national du Mérite in October 2013.[5] She has stayed involved with swimming, leading a press agency and working with Charlotte Bonnet, Fantine Lesaffre, Mehdy Metella, and Maxime Grousset.[6][7] She has worked to teach children how to swim.[8]

Personal life

Kamoun met Stephen Roche, the 1987 Tour de France winner, at the 2001 Tour de France and they later began a relationship.[9] The couple moved to Paris in summer of 2002 and live with Kamoun's son from a previous relationship.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Women's 100 Free". The Tampa Tribune. 30 July 1984. Retrieved 21 October 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "UCSB Swimming & Diving Record Book" (PDF). UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. August 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b Bardot, Alexandre (26 December 2001). "Sophie Kamoun vingt ans de fidélité". Le Parisien (in French). Paris. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Championnats de France. Sophie Kamoun : "Rennes, mes meilleurs championnats"". maville.com (in French). 14 April 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Décret du 14 novembre 2012 portant promotion et nomination". Légifrance (in French). 14 November 2012. Retrieved October 15, 2021.
  6. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (27 April 2020). "Le sport aura encore plus sa place". French Swimming Federation (in French). Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  7. ^ "Lancement du programme "Nageur et Citoyen"". French Swimming Federation (in French). 23 April 2019. Retrieved 15 October 2021.
  8. ^ David, Romain (29 April 2019). "Des champions de natation apprennent aux jeunes à nager : "C'est leur rôle de profiter de leur notoriété pour défendre une cause"". Europe 1 (in French). Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  9. ^ a b Caden, Sarah (7 January 2007). "Tour winner Roche's hell at career end". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved 18 October 2021.