Crescendo Management

Armand Laurienté is a French Football professional who currently plays in the Italian Series A. At only 24, his recent performances with US Sassuolo could very well grant him soon the opportunity to join the French National Team.

Armand is one of the many football talents that have emerged from the Paris suburbs. He starts football at the Roissy-en-France club, following the footsteps of his older brother who also plays as a professional. His unique technical skills as well as his speed-with-the-ball made him a great prospect to the point of being selected in Clairefontaine, the most prestigious football youth academy in the Nation.

After having been though the Pro Academy of Rennes, Armand became a professional at the age of 20 at Stade Rennais. But it’s truly with the FC Lorient that he was able to show his full potential and became part of the Junior French National Squad. During the summer of 2022, he has joined the US Sassuolo and has become since quite of a fixture for their tifosi after a brilliant first season.

Off the field, Armand has somewhat of a witty yet driven personality. This fan of mangas, drip music and fashion new wave, is slowly becoming a key figure in the French football landscape.

At 28, Kevin Tillie is a professional volleyball player. He is the 2nd of 3 well known athletes siblings and the son of Laurent Tillie, a former international volleyball player. Unlike his brothers who chose basketball, Kevin has followed his father’s steps and embraced volleyball.

After learning the ropes at the CNVB, Kevin made the decision to join the North American University system. He enlisted at Thompson-Rivers University in Canada in 2009. Two years later, he transferred to UC Irvine in California, where he won the NCAA championship twice.

In 2013 Kevin signed his first professional contract in Ravenna, Italy. Then he played for Arkasspor Izmir in Turkey as well as Kedzierzyn-Kozle in Poland. Kevin then explored the Chinese championship while playing for Beijing, then made his return to Europe in Modena and later Warsaw, where he still play today.

Kevin entered the French National Team in 2012, when he was only 21. He has become one of its pillars while conquering the World League and the Euro in 2015.

With quite an eclectic background, Kevin has a unique profile in French volleyball. Amicable and down to earth, he cultivates a very positive reputation and remains one of his National Team headliners.

At 27, Tamara Horacek is a female handball professional that can play both centre-half and left-back. As an international player she’s already an Olympic Silver Medalist as well as a World Champion Runner-up.

Tamara is the daughter of Vesna Horacek, a former international player from Croatia, who also shined as a Metz Handball Player. She followed the different steps of her mom’s illustrious career : Hungary, Slovenia and even Austria before she arrived in France a the age of 8. It wouldn’t be long before she herself succumb to the handball family tradition. Tamara would eventually join the Metz Handball youth academy before becoming a pro at only 17. Her very versatile style of play would eventually catch the attention of Olivier Krumbholz, the National coach. She joined the national Team in 2016, at the age of 21, which allowed her to earn a silver medal at the Rio Olympics. Sidelined for a few years because of injuries, she would get back to the National Team in 2021, becoming silver medalist at the handball World Championship as well.

With her smiling and engaging nature, Tamara hides quite a driven temper which makes her all the most endearing off the field. Now considered as one of the main fixtures of French Handball, she can reasonably hope to participate to the Olympics of Paris 2024.

Mathias Biabiany is a 27 years old fencer, praticing for 10 years in the epee French team.

Mathias grew up in Guadeloupe where he quickly developed a talent for fencing. His technical qualities lead him to deploy the 3 weapons of the discipline and become essential on his island. He became Caribbean champion, then gradually moves fowards the epee. At 17, he decided to leave the CREPS of Guadeloupe to join the France Pole in Reims. A year later, he win his first title in the French championship and joined the French team.

In 2015, Mathias left the federal system to evolve with the famous fencing master Daniel Levasseur. A bold choice in his career. His small size leads him to develop his technique, and deploy offensive qualities and speed to shine at the highest level. After this years, he will join again the INSEP. After his title of military world champion, he win several medals in the World Cup and European Cup.

As a fashion and modern art lover, but also as an entrepreneur, Mathias is very smiling and get a great open-mindedness. He likes to work for his discipline, but also for sport and culture in general. He is also a state graduate, and has developed a thesis dealing with the place of fencing among women with breast cancer.

Mathias keeps his way in his dual sporting and professional project. The 2024 Olympics would be for him the consecration of all his efforts.

Isabelle Yacoubou is a French international basket-baller who plays at the center position. Having played for several European powerhouses, she has earned 2 Euroleague titles and is widely considered as one of the best in the World at her position.

She was detected in Bénin by the Club of Tarbes where she eventually won 2 national titles and a MVP title during her last season in France. She then joined the Famila Schio club in Italy where she won another national title. Several prestigious clubs would follow the years after : Valencia in Spain, Spartak Moscow in Russia as well as Fenerbahçe İstanbul in Turkey.

She’s selected for the first time by the French National Team in 2009. She will earn the gold medal of the Euro Championship that same year as well as a bronze medal in that same competition in 2011, and two silver medals in 2013 and 2015. At the London Olympics, she earns with the “braqueuses” a silver medal after an epic battle against the American National Team. With 147 selections with the French National Team, Isabelle has just put an end to her international career.

After a short period in China, she has come back to play for Famila Schio for the last three years. She is still considered as one of the best European centers. This 2016-2017 season, she has noticeably reached the playoffs finals in the italian league. Outside of the court, Isabelle is an easy going woman who’s full of humor. More than ever, she is planning on supporting causes that help the youth in Africa and beyond.

Jean Michel Lucenay is a French épée fencer, who competes for the Aulnay fencing club. Gifted with extraordinary athletic qualities, Lucenay was quickly spotted by the Pôle France, the national coaching center for the country’s top fencers, which he joined in 1998. He is part of one of the most talented generations of French fencing history along with the Jeannet brothers.

He was in the group of fencers that were named the “invincibles,” because they won seven consecutive titles in major international competitions between 2005 and 2011, without ever being defeated.

World Champion in the team event in 2002, Lucenay won the University World champion title in 2003, after winning the team gold medal at the European Championships. 2010 was a sensational year for Lucenay. He won the European individual épée title, as well as the World Champion title in a thrilling final against the United States. In 2013, Lucenay has won the Mediterranean Games and has taken back the World team title in 2014 with the French squad.

Jean-Michel’s  starts 2016 with the individual bronze and team gold at the European championships in Torun. That same year he earns the only title missing to his enduring career: the team Olympic Gold at Rio. After 15 years playing at a top level, Jean-Michel has announced he would retire from fencing just after the 2017 World Championships.

Lucie Décosse is unquestionably the leader of feminine French judo. She won her first international title in 2002 and since then has ranked among the best athletes in her class.

She won her first senior world title in 2005. She became the third French world champion in this category, sixteen years after Catherine Fleury. She then joined the newly formed Lagardère Paris Racing Club, the result of a merger between the “Paris Judo” and “Racing Club de France” clubs.

In 2008, Lucie Décosse qualified for her second Olympic Games. She reached the final, losing against defending Olympic champion, Ayumi Tanimoto, in a memorable match. She then decided to switch to the -70kg category, winning the World Championships in Tokyo in 2010.

In 2011, Lucie Décosse won the Paris Bercy tournament for the seventh time, thus setting a new record for the largest number of victories in the most prestigious tournament in the world. She won her third World Championship at this same sporting venue later in the year.

She is now also an Olympic champion, having won the only title that was missing from her outstanding record. This ultimate accolade placed her at the top of the hierarchy of French women’s judo today. Now retired from her sport, she dedicates herself to transmitting her craft to the youth in France and many other parts of the World.

Florent Pietrus joined the Pau-Orthez training center in 1996. He was followed by his brother Mickaël in 1997, and together, they quickly asserted themselves as two of the greatest hopes in French basketball.

The eldest of the Pietrus brothers, Florent was part of the Pau generation of players, led by Claude Bergeaud, which won almost every possible championship title in France between 2001 and 2003. After the departure of Boris Diaw and his brother for the NBA in 2003, he spent a last season in Pau, winning his third title, before moving to Spain.

There, Florent Pietrus won the King’s Cup in 2005, and in the following season, he won the Spanish championship with his club Unicaja Malaga. He then joined another Spanish club, Estudiantes Madrid. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 season, he signed with Valencia Basket Club. Florent was back to France in 2013, and signed with the SLUC Nancy before joining the BCM Gravelines in 2016.

Additionally, he has been one of the senior players in the French national team for more than 10 years. His defense and his striking presence on the boards made him one of the principal architects of France’s third-place finish at the European Championships in 2005. In 2011, he became European vice champion and won the actual title in 2013. He has won two medals (bronze this time) at the World championship in Grenada in 2014 and at the European championship in 2015.

Florent has just stopped his international career at 230 selections and 14 years spent with the French National Team. At 36, he is to this day the third most capped player of the French National Team history. He will retire from professional basketball just at the end of the 2017 season.

Mickaël Gelabale plays for the French national basketball team as a forward. At only 21, he joined one of the best European teams, Real Madrid, winning the Spanish league in 2005. The same year, he was also on the French national team, winning a bronze medal at the FIBA European Basketball Championship (EuroBasket).

In 2006, Gelabale was selected in the NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, where he played for two years before returning to France. In 2009, he wins the French title with Cholet Basket and ends named MVP (most valuable player) in the final at Paris Bercy. He was also voted best Pro A player in the 2010-2011 season while playing at ASVEL as their team captain.

After multiple seasons in European powerhouses (Belgium, Russia, Croatia, and Spain), Mickaël goes back to the French elite championship. He has won again the French first division title with Limoges. He is now playing with Le Mans Sarthe Basket.

Mickaël Gelabale was a key element when his country won the silver medal at the 2011 EuroBasket and then the gold medal of this same competition in 2013. He helped the French squad to earn two bronze medals, one at the Grenada World Championships in 2014 and the other one at the European Championships in 2015. After finishing 6th at the Rio Olympics, Mickäel puts an end to his international career. He reached 147 selections with “les Bleus”.

Alexandra Jupiter is a professional beach-volley player. At 30, she is a member of the French pair ranked N°1 nationally in her sport.

Alexandra was introduced to volleyball at an early age, as part of a family long invested in the sport. She develops early a preference for the practice on sand. In 2004, as a 14-year-old teenager, she moves to the US with her mother. She is randomly detected on a California beach. This will precipitate her return to indoor volleyball while earning her various scholarships. From 2004 to 2008, she plays for the Sunshine Volleyball Club before joining the prestigious USC Trojans until 2011.

At 23, Alexandra took the opportunity to join the French National Volleyball Team at the 2013 European Championship. On this occasion, she came back to France and joined ES Le Cannet club. The following year she decided to focus exclusively on beach practice. On sand, Alexandra is now a Silver medalist at the 2018 Mediterranean Games and a Gold medalist at the 2019 Mediterranean Beach Games. She could very well qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games to come.

Alexandra Recchia is probably the most well-known French Karateka. At 31, an Olympic gold medal in Tokyo will be a crowning achievement.

In 2006, she starts winning international medals during European and World Championships.

She gets to Senior category in 2008, and quickly starts to be a part of the bests. During her first World Championships, she wins a Bronze medal. 2012 is the recognition year for Alexandra. She wins her first individual World Championship, at the Paris Bercy tournament. This victory still is the most significant of her international career. Up to now, Alexandra is 3 times European Champion (2011, 2013, 2016), 5 times individual and team World Champion (2010, 2012, 2016), 1 time gold medalist at the World Games (2017).

Thanks to her lawyer background, Alexandra is able to show strictness and self-discipline. As a physical exercises addict, she has a really good popularity in social networks. She’s now focuses on the last objective of her career: Olympic Gold Medal at Tokyo 2020.

Eliaquim Mangala is a French international footballer, playing as a defender. He is a finalist of the Euro in 2016.

Born in France, Eliaquim grew up in Belgium where he touched his first ball. immediately talented, he moved to Belgian training centers. He gets his place in a professional team at 18. In 2011, Eliaquim joins FC Porto and become champion of Portugal. Then, he joins the English league and become one of Manchester City’s main players. He won the English league title in 2018, and lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final. A year later his various European experiences, the footballer joins FC Valencia to challenge himself in the Spanish league.

Through his work with Pep Guardiola, he develops a special spirit and a vision of the game. After three years in the France Junior team, he is summoned for the first time by Didier Deschamps in 2013 at only 22 years old. Then, he will be selected for the 2014 World Cup in Brasil, and Euro 2016, where French team loses in final against Portugal.

Far from the footballing spotlight, Eliaquim shares other passions. A fan of yoga and golf, he likes to take advantage of what nature has to offer. Passionate of basketball, he is a big fan of the NBA.

Melvin Landerneau is a French track cyclist. At 26, he is recognized as a valuable member of the French Team. Not spared by injuries in recent years, he hopes to achieve great performances for Paris 2024.

Originally from Martinique, he moved to mainland France with his parents at the age of 6. It was his older brother who first took up cycling. He decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps at the age of 8 and quickly showed clear natural talent for the sport. Initially with JCC Coudraysienne, then Montgeron Vigneux, he developed a taste for competition before joining Team94 and the person he considers his mentor: Patrice Lerus. In 2013, he won 2 French championship titles before entering INSEP at the age of 16.

In the Junior category, Melvin delivered high-level performances. He has been European champion and three-time French champion. In 2022, he also won the gold medal in the kilometer at the European Championships in Munich. That same year, in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, he became the World Vice-Champion in the kilometer.

2023 will be a transition year marked by a few physical setbacks. However, Melvin is no longer plagued by doubt. He is now aiming for Olympic qualification in his two preferred events.

In his personal life, Melvin is calm and determined. A third-year student in sports management, he aspires to dedicate himself to the creation of a sports facility on the island where he was born.

Axelle Etienne is a French racing cyclist specialized in BMX. At only 22, she’s already making a strong impression in the Elite category. She has already won two French national titles and is already considered as a serious threat by the stars of her discipline.

Axelle starts BMX at the age of 8. Gifted with a very precocious talent, she is quickly recruited by the club of Lempdes BMX Auvergne before joining the French Youth Academy of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in 2015.

From 2014 to 2017, she has surpassed her competition in almost every major junior tournament. She has consequently won an impressive list French National titles, as well as European and World titles. For her first participation to a World Elite championship, in 2017, she finishes fifth among all the major riders of her sport.

As a civilian, Axelle is a very leveled and upbeat young woman. She is currently studying physiotherapy, in the Paris Region. Given her skill level, she is already considered as a once in a generation talent in France. She can hope for a first Olympic medal at the Tokyo games in 2 years. She’s more certain to reach her peak for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, which could give her a once in a lifetime exposure as great champion.

Benjamin Osberger is a French gymnast that specializes in the floor and the pommel. As he has reached several international championships’ final stages in the recent months, he has morphed into one of the great hopes of French gymnastics. 

Benjamin has only very recently joined the French National Sports academy (INSEP). He’s part of the Paris 2024 Project that has gathered the best young French talents of his sport. Originally from Alsace, he ensures the continuation of a great family tradition in gymnastics that manages the Munsterienne, a club that he is still registered under. 

Over this last year, Benjamin has carried on several top level performances as he accessed several International championships’ final stages. He has also become a driving force behind the French crew that unfortunately missed the qualification for the collective tournament at the Paris Olympics. Yet he can still qualify for several of the Games individual contests. 

Rigorous and persistent, Benjamin is gradually making a strong impression to the fans of his sport. Based on his precocious achievements, he already appears as a strong asset for the French Team.  Off the field, he has areas of interest that mirror those of his generation which could soon make him quite a popular character to the general public. 

Junior Bosila Banya is a French breakdancer, known as Bboy Junior. His artistic and competitive talents make him a leader in the discipline.

he started breakdancing at 14 in saint malo. Immediately confortable in dance and acrobatics, he quickly integrated his first team, the Serial Breakers Crew. After only 5 years of practice, and already recognized for his unique style, he will join Paris to find the group of Wanted Posse, whose reputation sounds across Europe. A year later, in 2001, Junior won his first world championship. His impressive style and inimitable footsteps led him to television and the stages of great artists. His victory in « Ma France a un incroyable talent » on M6, also allowed french public to take affection for the incredible story of this man.

If he communicates his fighting spirit and originality through dance, in current life we will find someone discreet and very smiling. He wants to transmit his passion and promote the values of his discipline. Junior is challenging himself to conquer a new world title, and keep crossing the globe to meet his audience.

Koumba Larroque is a French wrestler. At only 22 years old, her career has seen a great rise from the youth categories.

Koumba started wrestling at 9. Full of energy, she quickly developed a passion for opposition games. Her coaches immediately detected her agility for combat sports. In the youth categories, the wrestler won several times the titles of European and world champion. Talented athlete, she will be outclassed in the next competitions in the elite category. At only 20, she won a silver medal in the European and World Championships.

This summer Koumba will participate in her first Olympic Games in Tokyo. Although she represents a real contender for the title, she should reach maturity during the next edition in Paris and is already preparing to achieve her Olympic dream.

Koumba studies physiotherapy. Her smiling and shy personality has conquered the hearts of sports fans. Through her passion for fashion, she perfectly embodies athletic and feminine youth.

Dylan Nahi is a professional handball player. At 21, he plays as a left winger for Paris Saint-Germain. He will join another Euroean top club next season : KS Kielce, Poland.

Dylan was only 15 years old when he played his first match with PSG senior team. His level of precocity is impressive : he broke records as the youngest member of these teams in the Champions League’s Final Four as well as with the French senior team.

Dylan is already a four-time French champion and Champions League finalist (2017). With the Youth French National team, he is notably European champion (2016) and two times world champion (2017 and 2019). He was voted best player in his position at the 2018 European Championship and the 2019 World Cup.

Dylan could gradually become an emblematic figure of this French generation.

Stephen Parez-Edo is a French International rugbyman that evolves as a scrum half. He’s been one of the pillars of the 7 for over a decade and has become one its more recognizable figures. 

Since his teenage years, he’s been also a member of the Paris University Club. He was first an alumni of the prestigious rugby academy at the Lycée Lakannal de Sceaux. He then joined the French National rugby Academy of Marcoussis in 2012 and was even selected among the U20 National 15-a-side Team. However, the French National rugby Sevens team and his then-coach Frédéric Pomarel coveted him as well. He made a convincing showing against Tonga in 2013 and ended up sticking to this format for the rest of his illustrious career. 

With the French Rugby Sevens, Stephen has won the Grand Prix Series twice but also earned a participation to the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. With several international medals under his belt these last few years, he can hold great ambitions for the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Stephen is not just a rugby purist. Outside the field, his passions extend to architecture and design. He actually recently graduated from culinary school. A distinction that should solidify his post career aspirations.