Yannick Agnel
400m world record
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IDEA
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SPORTSA training ground for life, the generator of well-being and vitality, a source of fun and fellow feeling, communication and cooperation...
- That's been our vision of what sport represents for a century and a half. These are still the values that guide the heroes we choose to join us on our journey. We chose them because they expend as much energy fighting for causes off the playing field as they do fighting for victory on it.
He has said it himself: "Le Coq Sportif is family." It's true. We feel like we watched Joakim Noah grow up. Like his grandfather, a professional soccer player, and his dad the tennis genius, Joakim's a tireless worker. Before becoming a star with the Chicago Bulls basketball team, he spent countless hours shooting hoops on New York City's playgrounds. He won two consecutive NCAA college titles with his Florida Gators team. His father gave him his taste for hard work, but Joakim Noah is his father's son in many other ways. Like his dad, he looks well beyond the sports arena for ways to express his humanity.
The Noah's Ark Foundation
Joakim Noah knows how lucky he was to grow up the way he did. Now he wants provide the same kind of opportunity to kids who aren't so lucky. Joakim Noah and his mother, Cecilia Rhodes, created the Noah's Ark foundation to promote sports participation in poor neighborhoods and Le Coq Sportif is a major backer. Every year, for instance, the foundation organises a basketball tournament in the rough-and-tumble neighborhoods of Queens, New York. But it's not just about sports. There are also artistic activities for kids at courtside.
He wanted to play soccer (football) but he grew up in Toulouse, the heart of rugby country. So naturally, he and his friends spent their days playing with an oval rugby ball. As it turns out, Michalak was born in exactly the right place. It was written in the stars that Michalak should play rugby. He's simply one of the best. Whether as a star on the Toulouse rugby team or playing for the French national squad, Michalak can turn an entire match around with one deft play. He's got the natural instinct, the work ethic and the team spirit that we love. And off the field, he channels his desire to give back into many projects.
Ses'Khona Rugby Club
In 2008, Frederic Michalak took a year off from his duties at Toulouse to spend a season playing for the Natal Sharks of Durban, South Africa's best rugby club. The team won the Currie Cup that year. On the side, Michalak spent some of his free time coaching the Ses'Khona Rugby Clup from the poor black township of Kwamashu. It was the first time a white player had volunteered to help the black community. He managed to convert more than a few soccer (football) fanatics into die-hard rugby fans. He didn't walk away when the year was up, either. Today, Michalak is the unofficial godfather of the Ses'Khona Rugby Clup, and Le Coq Sportif is right there with him. We furnish the uniforms and the equipment for all the kids on the club.
In a country of soccer fanatics, Italy's Marco Bortolani opted for rugby. He was a born leader, and a leader he remains. He's been collecting laurels since he started playing. He was named captain of his local club, Padua, when he was only 15. At 21, he took charge of the Italian national team. Same story at Narbonne. He entered the record books when he became the first Italian to captain an English squad upon joining Gloucester. Back in Italy, he is still a captain, currently of the Parma Herons.
Chicken Rugby Club
Milan, 1954. Cesare Ghezzi founds the first Milanese rugby club and introduces Italian boys to the rigors of the sport. Ghezzi understood rugby better than he understood English, and for some reason decided to name his team the Chicken Rugby Club. For over 60 years, it has remained Italy's foremost academy of the art of the oval ball, but it teaches more than that. "The Chickens" also transmits a strong sense of social responsibility, hard work and loyalty. These are the same values that inspire Marco Bortolani, Chicken Rugby Club's presiding spirit. Those same values explain why Le Coq Sportif does its part in helping the club's little chicks develop into fighting cocks on the field.
If the playing field of life isn't level, neither is the tennis court. A young black man named Arthur Ashe discovered this early growing up in segregated Richmond, Virginia in the 1950s. So Ashe learned to play tennis on the streets. He went on to become the first black tennis player to win the U.S. Open in 1968. That didn't stop South Africa from denying Ashe a visa to play in the South African Open. In what would prove to be a lifetime of outspoken political engagement, Ashe called for South Africa to be expelled from the professional tennis circuit. He went on to win 72 titles, including the Australian Open in 1970 and Wimbledon in 1975, when he defeated Jimmy Connors in the final.
Kids Day
Arthur Ashe didn't wait for the twilight of his career before extending his hand to other boys in need of the kind of help he never got. He was just 25 when he set up his first social program. On a trip through Cameroon a year later, he spotted the young Yannick Noah, and pushed the French Tennis Federation to take the gifted youngster under its wing. Throughout his too-short life, Ashe fought as hard against apartheid and for Haitian refugees as he did against his adversaries on the other side of the net. As he himself said, "I believe I was destined to do more than hit tennis balls." Ashe contracted HIV from a tainted blood transfusion and spent his final years raising money for Aids research. He died from the disease in 1993 at the age of 49. His widow Jeanne continues his work today through the Arthur Ashe Foundation, which provides educational and sporting opportunities for children all over the world. Le Coq Sportif is part of this work with its support of the Foundation's Learning Center in New York.
He turned France into a nation of tennis fans on June June 5, 1983 when he won his unforgettable victory on the red clay of Roland Garros. But he had already been a member of the Coq Sportif team for several years. Yannick Noah has been our roving ambassador for thirty years now, because he embodies the values of our brand. This gifted warrior, always true to himself, manages to transmit his passion and his deep feeling to everybody who crosses his path.
Fête Le Mur
Yannick Noah was raised in Cameroun at a time when the whole country had only eight tennis courts. If Arthur Ashe hadn't spotted him as a youngster, his fabled career might never have come about. France, by contrast, has 50,000 tennis, but they're not always in places where less fortunate kids can take advantage of them. So in 1996, Noah got the idea for his Fete le Mur foundation, which lets kids from poorer neighborhoods discover the game of tennis. From the beginning, Le coq sportif has thrown its support behind Noah's project. Fifteen years later, it's fair to say our gamble has paid off. The foundation backs over 25 tennis centers where nearly 3000 youngsters play every year.
Our Heroes
The sport thread
JOAKIM NOAH PRO MODEL « frenchie »
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JOAKIM NOAH 2.0. St Patrick version
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Congratulations to Joakim Noah for his 2011 season
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le coq sportif is back on 'Le Tour'
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Joakim Noah Pro model 2.0 Play Off
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Quantas Wallabies' official partner
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Joakim Noah @ Eurobasket
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The new 2012 Tour de France yellow jersey
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Yannick Agnel, Maître-Nageur en or
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Yannick Agnel - World record & European record
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JOAKIM NOAH PRO MODEL « frenchie »
ON MAY 7, BASKET-BALL FANS RUSHED TO DISCOVER THE JOAKIM NOAH PRO MODEL REPLICA, A LIMITED EDITION BASKETBALL SHOE DESIGNED BY LE COQ SPORTIF FOR THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED JOAKIM NOAH : ONLY 144 PAIRS WERE PRODUCED, OF WHICH 20 PARIS WERE DONATED TO A GROUP OF LUKY CHICAGO KIDS BY OUR GENEROUS KING OF BULLS. YOOX SHOE, A BRILLIANT MIX OF COOL, VINTAGE DESIGN AND TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE WILL BE RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 10 IN A BLUE, WHITE AND RED VERSION.
The Joakim Noah Pro Model trades its energetic red for a French inspired theme with a blue upper, white details and red sole outlines. The « frenchie » now features an embroidered French tricolore flag on the heel in place of the replica’s number “13”. Regarding technical qualities, the « frenchie » is as efficient as the replica : lightweight, flexible, durable, shock-absorbent, and extra responsive, perfect for Joakim’s style of play.
Hold on to your beret and pick up one of the 288 pairs, the « frenchie » model will be available from September 10 in one of the 10 selected stores, in France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. On October 4, the “Frenchie” will land in the le coq sportif stores, in Paris (flagship, Tiquetonne Street and Citadium), Strasbourg and Bayonne.
JOAKIM NOAH 2.0. St Patrick version
On the night of 3.17.11, the Chicago Bulls will, once again, change their red road uniform for a green appropriate dress code. A perfect day to celebrate Joakim Noah’s comeback on the championship hardwood with his brand new shoes, the Joakim Noah Pro Model 2.0. St Patrick! The gradient green sneakers that mix style and performance will hit the stores in their lifestyle version, on March 17.75 pairs only for the lucky ones, who will search for the four-leaf clover on Crooked Tongues, unotre.com, in Parisian-based store Citadium or at Boutique Isolee in Madrid.
120 €, size 40 - 45. Release 3.17.11.
More news soon about the Joakim Noah Pro Model 2.0. !
Congratulations to Joakim Noah for his 2011 season
Joakim Noah voted on to the NBA All-Defensive second team
You might think that as the grandson of a professional footballer and the son of a legendary tennis champion, your path to sporting glory should run miraculously smooth. But you would be underestimating the Herculean task which has been accomplished in recent years by Joakim Noah, as he has become one of the most successful basketball players in the NBA.
With the Florida Gators, he had the humbling experience of warming the bench before winning two NCAA titles. When he arrived at the Chicago Bulls in 2007, he had to redouble his efforts to become a fixture in the starting five … but his hard work paid off. In the privacy of the polling booth, the thirty NBA coaches made no mistake. This year they voted Joakim Noah on to the NBA all-defensive second team for the 2011 season. That makes him one of the ten best defensive players of the regular season, out of the six hundred and sixty professional basketball players in the North American championship. The Chicago Bulls centre is the first Frenchman to be awarded this honour. He is also the only “Frenchy” to have a signature shoe named after him: the Joakim Noah Pro Model, a limited edition created by le coq sportif.
A good report card
If he feels good in his basketball trainers, it is also because the Chicago Bulls showed their continued trust in him by agreeing to a five-year contract extension last October. For somebody that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, voted best coach of the year, describes as “the heart and soul of the team”, this pledge of loyalty has really paid dividends. His season has been marred by two injuries, but on his return Joakim proved his commitment on the hardwood, as his statistics from the regular season prove. Averaging 11.7 points per match and 10.4 rebounds, he recorded an impressive “double-double” performance, achieving double-digit number totals in two different categories. After the regular season, he ranked as one of the top 10 rebounders in the NBA.
An exceptional season
But beyond the bare statistics, he has also shown that he helps to build team spirit. He has become his teammate Derrick Rose’s foremost ally. Thanks to this peerless duo, the Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference finals.
Le coq sportif, which has supported Joakim Noah since 2007, sends him its warmest congratulations for this superb NBA season, which will be followed, without any doubt, by many others.
le coq sportif is back on 'Le Tour'
Le coq sportif and Amaury Sport Organisation are delighted to announce the partnership, to take effect for the 2012 season, concerning A.S.O. cycling events, at the forefront of which is the Tour de France.
This marks a historical moment, as from 1951 the production workshop of le coq sportif was the official supplier of team jerseys for the Tour de France. For forty years, the most famous riders, from Jacques Anquetil to Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx, pulled on jerseys bearing the le coq sportif logo.
Mrs. Camuset bore witness to the long history between the Tour de France and le coq sportif: “By chance, in 1951, the Tour passed through Romilly – the manufacturing location of the jerseys – prior to the final stage in Paris. I can quite clearly remember that it was a proud day for the le coq sportif brand, to see the team jerseys hung out above the route. All of the residents of Romilly took to the streets to see the cyclists and also the jerseys which were manufactured by the workers in the le coq sportif plant – who took great pride in their efforts”.
From July 2012, le coq sportif will become the official supplier of the Tour de France and will once more stamp its image on the jerseys of the leading cyclists – the Yellow Jersey, the Green Jersey, the Polka Dot Jersey and the White Jersey: the perfect gift to celebrate the brand’s 130th anniversary.
Along with the Tour de France, le coq sportif will become the partner of all A.S.O. races, which are amongst the most prestigious in the international cycling calendar: the Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Nice, Critérium du Dauphiné, etc.
More than just a partnership, it is a passion and an obvious choice, which consolidates the commitment of le coq sportif in the world of cycling, past, present and future. From October, the Tour de France and le coq sportif invite you to discover the Tour route for 2012 and will take this opportunity to unveil the new jerseys for the champions of the July event.
Joakim Noah Pro model 2.0 Play Off
Joakim Noah Pro Model 2.0,a real family affair
The Joakim Noah Pro Model 2.0 finds its inspiration in a tennis shoe that was designed in 1982 for Yannick Noah. The shoe was originally described as having “Spécial Bondissant” (energy return) and an innovative air system called “AEROTOP”. Most importantly, the shoe helped Yannick to become the only Frenchman to win the French Open in modern history.
The Joakim Noah Pro Model 2.0 perfectly blends innovative internal performance features with a vintage external shell giving the shoe a balance between a respect for authentic values and the ability to survive in the modern world. This is the very shoe that Joakim has worn while playing for the Bulls during their monumental 62-win season, and we will make this product available in limited quantities this summer.
2011, The Joakim Noah 2.0 Play Off versions
Three colors of The Pro Model 2.0 will be delivered: red on red and black on black, the Chicago Bulls team colors – and, an exclusive white version outlined with a hits of red that is accented with suede overlays. All three of these versions are the ones worn by Joakim during the Bulls 2010-2011 Playoff campaign, and feature his signature and reference to the Bulls season printed on the heel. None of these specific versions will be produced a second time, so only the most select retail partners will be able to participate.
The upper of this shoe is constructed in a mix of ultra-light weight synthetic fabrics that bring added durability along with weight reduction, while the tongues execution in a modern air-mesh maximize breathability. The second set of internal laces act to secure straps that are stitched under the outsole unit, and together form a fit-system capable of nearperfect closure and tension. The dropped top-line gives the shoe a modern flavor and the simple lines of the mid-sole keep it rooted in old-school styling. The bottom unit is constructed of compression molded EVA with engage EVA inserts making it playable by any standard, but the simplicity and vintage expression of the design keep it fresh and unique.
Quantas Wallabies' official partner
Le coq sportif is proud to announce that it has signed a partnership with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) and its national rugby union team, the Qantas Wallabies. Just a month before the start of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, set to run from 9th September to 23rd October, the French brand has become the official boot partner of the Qantas Wallabies, known as one of the best teams in the world.
The story behind le coq sportif's connection to Australian rugby started shortly after the brand arrived in the country five years ago. Adam Freier and then Al Baxter were among the first Australian players to wear le coq sportif products, and many others, including Benn Robinson and Nathan Sharpe, soon followed their lead. ARU Managing Director and CEO, John O’Neill AO, thanked le coq sportif for their support of Australian Rugby and the Qantas Wallabies in what is a huge year for the game.
“Over nearly 130 years le coq sportif has enjoyed a proud history of providing their products to a range of different sports and we are very pleased they have come on board in support of the Qantas Wallabies over the next two years. Having the Qantas Wallabies wearing the boots of one of the world’s premier manufacturers as they look to regain the mantle of the number one rugby team in the world is fantastic” Mr O’Neil said.
Le coq sportif was the official Tour de France supplier for four decades, starting in 1951, and will be back on the road with the race in July 2012. Many more emotional moments are in view for le coq sportif, which supported Argentina's victory led by Maradona in 1986, Yannick Noah's triumph at Roland Garros in 1983, and France's 1976 win in the Six Nations Championship. Le coq sportif is proud to extend its involvement in rugby with the Qantas Wallabies as Charles Hurtebize, Brand Manager of le coq sportif Oceania explained.
“We currently have over 70 rugby players wearing our products across the globe. We share the values of the rugby world and are delighted to start a new chapter with a team as iconic as the two-time world champion Qantas Wallabies! We wish the Australians good luck and a lot of success for the 7th edition of the Rugby World Cup”.
From now on and including the Rugby World Cup, the Qantas Wallabies will wear le coq sportif rugby boots
(Comparse and Favorite) in their country's colours: green and yellow.
Joakim Noah @ Eurobasket
Le coq sportif wanted to thank Joakim for his amazing competition during the Eurobasket
On Friday, Joakim and the French team played the semi-finals against Russia and won 79-71 ! Thanks to that win, they got qualified for the finals of the European Championship, but they also won their tickets for a direct qualification for the Olympic games 2012 in London !
The final opposed Spain and France. Joakim did a great game with really good statistics but the French team lost against Spain 98-85.
They finish this Championship with silver medals. Joakim achieved a really complete European Championship, and really enjoyed himself playing for France.
Congratulations to Joakim for his great competition !
Joakim statistics against Russia :
Time 30 mn, Points 7, Rebounds 8, Interceptions 1, Passes 2
Joakim statistics against Spain :
Time 30 mn, Points 11, Rebounds 8, Passes 2
The new 2012 Tour de France yellow jersey
To celebrate the return of the French brand on the sunny roads of the Tour De France, Le Coq Sportif invites fashion to the greatest cycling event. Cycling culture, authenticchic and cocorico feel, the Le Coq Sportif La Grande Boucle collection are designed for men and women in a colour palette inspired by the champions jerseys - lemon yellow, botanical green or mini red polka dots.
In small touches on the collar and belt or all over, a cult print to play with the cycling wadrobe: vichy - from the 60s bikini print to a reminder of the French restaurant table. A playfully retro collection that combines f vests, polos, pique short and a high waist skirt.
La principal innovación radica en la reducción del peso del maillot 2012, de cerca de un 14%: 147 gramos respecto a los 171 gramos de la versión 2011 (referencia: maillot de la talla XL).
Yannick Agnel, Maître-Nageur en or
Yannick has character and talent but that’s not enough for him: he’s driven, enthusiastic and committed to fair play, a perfect embodiment of the spirit and values promoted by le coq sportif.
He’s also gifted, hardworking and determined to succeed in whatever he does.
Respectful of the rules and his opponents, Yannick has youth and all the keys to success on his side: talent, titles and a first name inherited from another champion, Yannick Noah – rare for a swimmer!
French Champion in 2011 and 2012 and European champion in the 400m freestyle in 2010, Yannick broke through on the international stage at London 2012, winning two gold medals in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 200m individual freestyle, and silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay! It was a fabulous, historic performance: we haven’t heard the last of Yannick Agnel!
Yannick Agnel - World record & European record
Yannick Agnel confirms his performances from the last Olympic Games beating the 400m world record in 3'32''25 and the 800m European record in 7'29''17 in Angers (France).
Congratulations!
Yannick has character and talent but that’s not enough for him: he’s driven, enthusiastic and committed to fair play, a perfect embodiment of the spirit and values promoted by le coq sportif.
He’s also gifted, hardworking and determined to succeed in whatever he does.
Respectful of the rules and his opponents, Yannick has youth and all the keys to success on his side: talent, titles and a first name inherited from another champion, Yannick Noah – rare for a swimmer!
French Champion in 2011 and 2012 and European champion in the 400m freestyle in 2010, Yannick broke through on the international stage at London 2012, winning two gold medals in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 200m individual freestyle, and silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay! It was a fabulous, historic performance: we haven’t heard the last of Yannick Agnel!
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