Gauthier Grumier was born 32 years ago in Nevers, central France. He won the gold medal in the épée team event at the 2006, 2010, 2011 and 2014 World Championships. He also won silver in the individual épée at the 2010 and 2015 World Championships. He began fencing at the age of three, taken along to training sessions by his father who was a fencing coach.

1. Was last season successful for you? Does winning plenty of Grand Prix and World Cup events make you feel confident for the Olympics?

   The 2015/16 season was a successful one, with three wins and a third place in World Cup events and individual grands prix. Obviously, winning competitions is always a bonus when you’re preparing for a big event like the Olympic Games. Things happen quickly in sport, though, and the confidence you build up during the course of a season can evaporate from one day to the next.

2. How has your preparation been for Rio 2016? What sacrifices did you have to make over the past four years?

   My preparations for Rio 2016 are the same as they were for Moscow 2015 and Kazan 2014. It’s an event that marks the end of a cycle and a season. We haven’t come up with anything new in terms of preparation this season. The coach planned everything well in advance. I haven’t made a whole lot of sacrifices in these last four years. I see my sport as a fun thing to do, though lately I’ve found it harder to go off and train or compete. The day when fencing isn’t fun any more is the day when I’ll have to stop.

3. Who do you think are your biggest competitors and why? How do you plan to beat them?

   If there’s one thing I’ve learned about events like the Olympic Games, it’s that it’s a very open competition. The favourite isn’t necessarily going to win, as absolutely anyone can come through the field at an Olympic épée tournament and take the gold. You have to watch out for everyone. As for a plan for beating my opponents, I try not to plan ahead too much because to my mind that’s a sure-fire way of failing. There are so many different things that can happen in a fencing match that you just can’t plan ahead, because you’d have all these different scenarios in your head for a match or competition. It’s too much to take in, and it never goes as planned.

4. What is your secret strength before every competition?

   If I told you what my secret strength was, then it wouldn’t be a secret! Seriously, though, I don’t think I’ve got any secrets. Before a competition I try to switch off from the event and just accept that unexpected things can happen so that I can turn them to my advantage. That way I can go out on the piste with the aim of enjoying myself with my opponent. It might not always look that way, but it’s worked pretty well for me for the last three years.

5. To whom would you dedicate a medal in Rio?

   If I won a medal in Rio, I’d dedicate it to my family and friends. My father taught me to fence and it would be a great way to acknowledge his hard work. My mother took me fencing for the first time, against my father’s wishes, and she has always supported me and been there for me during the worst moments of my career. Then there’s my wife, who puts up with my moaning every evening and doesn’t complain when I go off every month to clown around on the other side of the world. It would be their medal too.