Sports
Saint-Martin's Amandha Sylvès played volleyball for France at the Paris 2024 Olympics
Amandha Sylvès, who grew up in Saint-Martin, played as a middle blocker for France's women's volleyball team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Le 97150 described her as the only athlete from Saint-Martin at the Games.
By SXM Daily ·
Reported 26 July 2024.
Amandha Sylvès, a volleyball player who grew up in Saint-Martin, represented France at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the summer of 2024. Volleyball World, the sport's international body, listed her on France's women's roster as a middle blocker.
Local outlets followed her Games closely. Le 97150 described Sylvès as the only athlete from Saint-Martin competing in Paris, and listed France's pool matches against Serbia, China and the United States. Le Pélican reported on 26 July 2024, the day of the opening ceremony, that she was living her Olympic dream after becoming a regular in the French national side. Guadeloupe La 1ère covered France's last match of the tournament, a defeat to the Americans.
Why it mattered
Saint-Martin rarely has a competitor at the Olympics, so Sylvès's selection drew attention across the French side. With Paris as host city, her place on the home team gave the island a direct link to the 2024 Games.