Florian Rousseau

Florian Rousseau (born 3 February 1974) is a former French track cyclist who won three gold medals and one silver at the Summer Olympics (1996 and 2000). He was popular among spectators for the facial expressions he pulled - many of them seeming to make his eyes bulge - to help him concentrate at the start of races. In retirement he became one of France's national sprint coaches.

Youth Rousseau spent much of his childhood and went to school in Patay. He began as a soccer player but, seeing no future in team sports, switched to cycling. He showed early talent on the track and joined the national sports institute, INSEP, in western Paris in 1990. He won the world junior kilometre championship in 1992 and the world senior championship in 1993 and 1994.

Rousseau was appointed as the inaugural president of the UCI Athletes' Commission in 2011.

Outside cycling Rousseau is married to Sonia, and a scuba-diver in his spare time, particularly in the Caribbean and off Australia.

Major results

1992 1st Kilo, World Championships - Junior 3rd Sprint, French National Track Championships - Junior

1993 1st Kilo, World Championships 1st Kilo, French National Track Championships

1994 1st Kilo, World Championships 1st Kilo, French National Track Championships UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics champion

1995 2nd Kilo, World Championships 2nd Sprint, World Championships 1st Kilo, French National Track Championships 1st Sprint, French National Track Championships

1996 1st Kilo, Olympic Games 1st Sprint, World Championships 3rd world team sprint championship 1st Kilo, Sprint, French National Track Championships 1st Sprint, French National Track Championships

1997 1st Sprint, World Championships 1st Team sprint, World Championships 1st Sprint, French National Track Championships

1998 1st Sprint, World Championships 1st Team sprint, World Championships 1st Sprint, French National Track Championships 1st Keirin, French National Track Championships

1999 1st Team sprint, World Championships 3rd Sprint, World Championships

2000 1st Keirin, Olympic Games 1st Team sprint, Olympic Games 2nd Sprint, Olympic Games 1st Team sprint, World Championships 1st Sprint, French National Track Championships

2001 1st Team sprint, World Championships 3rd Sprint, World Championships 2nd Sprint, French National Track Championships 3rd Keirin, French National Track Championships

2002 3rd Sprint, World Championships 3rd Sprint, French National Track Championships