Andy Barat
Comorian canoeist (born 1997)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andy Barat (born 29 November 1997)[1] is a Comorian slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2023, specializing in K1 and kayak cross.[2] He represented Comoros at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Biography
Barat was born in 1997[3] and spent his early years in Mutsamudu, a city in the Comoros, before later moving to France.[4] His father is from Anjouan while his mother is French.[5] He played multiple sports growing up, including football, judo and BMX biking.[6] When he was approximately 13, he was introduced to kayak slalom by his cousin, a member of the club CKClisson in Loire-Atlantique.[6] In France, Barat attended the Raphaël-Elizé school in Sablé-sur-Sarthe.[6] He competed at canoeing competitions in France and won the silver medal at the French Slalom Cup in 2022.[7] He also served four years in the French Army, being a member of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment through 2023.[6]
Having served for France, his mother's country, Barat decided that he wanted to represent his father's country and "make the Comorian colours shine."[6] He began competing in international canoeing events under the Comorian flag in 2023.[6] He participated at several events that year, including in Slovenia, Spain, France, Britain and Germany.[4] Among the 2023 events he participated in were the Canoe Slalom World Cup and the World Championships.[4][8] He competed at the World Cup again in 2024 and also won the silver medal at the 2024 African championships.[5][9]
He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and is the country's first-ever Olympic canoeist.[6][10] He finished 24th in the K1 event and 38th in kayak cross.
Barat is regarded as the best canoeist for the Comoros, a sport that has been described as "new ... if not non-existent" in the country.[9] He continues his training at the Clisson Canoe Kayak Club, where he is highly valued by the young members who support him daily and sometimes train alongside him.