(by Steve Hopkins)
We are exactly one year away from the Olympics in Paris – the Opening Ceremony is scheduled for July 26th, and table tennis will begin to be played on the 27th. There’s a lot of table tennis to be played between now and next Summer, and we can expect many changes in seedings for both individuals and teams as the best in the world jockey for position through the different qualification processes and events. The host country has a reserved spot in both Men’s and Women’s team events, as well as a spot in both singles events and in Mixed Doubles.
That host country, France, was always destined to have participants, but recently their prospects of a medal changed drastically for the better. In recent months, two French Brothers have climbed into the World Top 20 – and in Men’s Singles at the recent European Cup, Felix Lebrun finished first, and older brother Alexis Lebrun finished third. A few months ago, France would have been seeded well below Germany, Sweden, and Portugal – and now they may be on track to be a medal contender at the Olympic Games they will be hosting.
It is very hard not to like the Lebrun brochures. Many remember the young brothers (now 19 and 16) as small and thin – but both are now over 6 feet tall and it looks like they’ve spent their share of time in the weight room. They have a mild-mannered look – sporting glasses and short hair. And for those of us who were fans of some alternative folk rock in the 80s, there may even be some nostalgia as Alexis and Felix look a little like Craig and Charlie Reid of the Proclaimers.
That big Proclaimer’s hit, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was released in August of 1988 – 35 years ago. And the Olympics are just one year away for the Lebrun Brothers. Here’s some fun comparisons of the two pairs of brothers:
The Proclaimers (Craig and Charlie Reid) are also both over 6 feet tall – and they were known for their clean cut looks and their glasses. See the photo above, if all four guys were lined up at about the same ages – they’d be about the same height, with about the same haircuts, and about the same style of glasses.
The Lebrun Brothers had advanced through the juniors ranks with some success, but were both outside of the World Top 750 in 2022 – but shot to the World’s Top 20 in just a year. The Reid brothers launched the Proclaimers in 1983 (they were 21 years old at the time, so they found success a little later than the teen-aged Frenchmen). The Proclaimers advanced through small venues for four years before having their first taste of success with a small hit in 1987 and then reached immortality with their huge “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” song in 1988.
The Lebrun Brothers live in Montpellier, a picturesque city on the Mediterranean Coast. Depending upon the route, when they head out for the Olympics, they’ll need to travel just about 750 kilometers. Or, yep you guessed it – if they were walking they’d need to walk 500 miles. Perhaps the Paris Olympics will be the Lebrun Brother’s huge “hit”.
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