Winning ways: sports champions share tips on victory on the field

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It was a cool and breezy day when two of the hottest French names in sports caught up for a quick chat at the parade ring at the Sha Tin Racecourse. French jockey Alexis Badel, fresh off his magnificent BMW Hong Kong Derby win on March 19, played host to France 7s men’s rugby team captain, Jonathan Laugel, before the rest of the team arrived for a night at the races.

But before that, Badel and Laugel managed to grab some time together to share some of their secrets of success. Laugel also managed to get some tips on how his team, which is vying for the Hong Kong Sevens crown this weekend, could play to the home crowd.

Both Badel and Laugel started in their chosen sport at a young age. Badel was born into a horse racing family, his mother is respected horse trainer Myriam Bollack-Badel and his father Alain Badel is a former jockey in France. The younger Badel was on a horse at eight years old and by the time he was 18, he was named Champion Apprentice in France.

“My dad was a very good jockey and I was probably born to be a jockey because of my physical ability, my small size and my light weight so I had everything perfect to be a jockey. My mom was very good and she really pushed me to be better,” says Badel, who has been racing full time in Hong Kong since the 2020/2021 season.