"I always perform well at Salon!" smiles Silène Gaspéri Deregis, a student at UniLaSalle. The student, currently in her first year of pre-engineering studies on the Beauvais campus, returned from the French junior winter throwing championships with a fine bronze medal.

Silène's goal was achieved, and she was hoping for a podium finish without being overconfident. "I was a bit stressed before the competition because there was more competition than last year" says the athlete from CMO Louvres, in Ile-de-France. "It went well in training. My first throw, at more than 51 meters, allowed me to free myself and to gain confidence."

Finally, it was on the third try that Silène won her bronze medal with a throw of 51.45 m, just a few decimeters from her personal best of 51.84 m.

The national competition, which took place on February 25 in Salon-de-Provence, marks the end of the winter season. While waiting for the next big sporting events (the French university championships in June and the French junior championships in July), Silène continues to train between Beauvais and her club in the Paris region, nearly 10 hours a week.