Jérôme Elhaïk – French Federation

Jérôme Elhaïk, FFSquash PO

Nine years after Thierry Lincou’s retirement, another huge chapter of French squash history came to and end today with Grégory Gaultier announcing the end of his career. More than his skills and the endless list of titles, what stands out for me is his perseverance. That’s the asset which helped him to become world champion after 4 losses in the finals, some of them being particularly heartbreaking, and then to come back to the world top 20 after a serious injury, at 38 years old.

To be so successful in any sport, you must be self-centered. But we saw another side of Greg towards the end of his career, when he devoted a lot of time and energy as the captain of the Annecy squad in the French league – while he was on crutches and therefore unable to play.

On a more personal level, I must also mention his unfailing professionalism with the media. He was always ready to respond to requests, interviews and alike, and not once I had to chase him up …