© Stade de France ®
Macary, Zublena et Regembal
Costantini - Architects
ADAGP - Paris - 2002
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VOLUNTEERS  PORTRAITS |
 FLATTENING THE SAND AFTER THE JUMPS: A COMPLEX PROCESS…
Paris 2003 Saint-Denis
Raking over the long jump or triple jump landing area requires a light touch and an eye for detail. In just a few seconds, two volunteers have to rake and flatten, restoring the area to perfect condition in time for the next competitor’s arrival.
"Lightness of touch"
Handling a rake is not always as straightforward as one might think! Especially when your plot’s the long jump and triple jump landing area at the Stade de France®... Two old hands confirm this. "The most important thing is lightness of touch", explains Jacky, a veteran of twenty years in the "profession", after having formerly been an athlete, coach and lawyer. "Above all, you need to make sure you bring the sand towards yourself so as to be able to level it, not push it all to the back", adds Xavier, a student, who has been a regular face on the national athletics circuit for some years now, always in the same post. A post which, for the purposes of the World Championships, goes by the grand title of "long jump and triple jump landing area assistant".
To each his own role
"That’s too long, someone’s waiting!" An official is supervising operations. The aim is "to go as fast as possible. We’ve got about thirty seconds to do our raking", indicates Xavier, who is into his second day of rehearsal. On landing, namely when the official sticks the marker in the sand that will be read by the measuring device, the pair are both lurking at the edge of the landing area. Once the jump has been measured, they enter the scene, each with a highly specific role. Xavier busies himself with his large-pronged rake, levelling and flattening, but it then needs refining, which is where Jacky takes over with his little rubber smoother, swiftly going over the entire surface of the landing area.
Watering, ploughing, levelling… what patience!
"We’ve been at the Stade de France® since Monday, but before training, we had to prepare the equipment and jumping facility. It took us two days!" smiles Xavier. Jacky elaborates: "First, we had to water, then, we had to go over it with the cultivator to plough it up. Then it had to be levelled a first time with the rake. Finally, we placed a four-metre aluminium rule, which is the width of the landing area, at the edge of the sand pit and slid it over the entire length of the pit, to finish off the flattening". Attention to detail and patience: such are the qualities needed to be a good "landing area assistant"!
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