Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | 29 November 1997 |
Sport | |
Country | ![]() |
Sport | Canoeing |
Event | K1, Kayak cross [1] |
Andy Barat (born 29 November 1997 [1]) is a Comorian canoeist. He qualified to represent Comoros at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Barat was born in 1997 [2] and spent his early years in Mutsamudu, a city in the Comoros, before later moving to France. [3] His father is from Anjouan while his mother is French. [4] He played multiple sports growing up, including football, judo and BMX biking. [5] When he was approximately 13, he was introduced to canoeing by his cousin, a member of the club CKClisson in Loire-Atlantique. [5] In France, Barat attended the Raphaël-Elizé school in Sablé-sur-Sarthe. [5] He competed at canoeing competitions in France and won the silver medal at the French Slalom Cup in 2022. [6] He also served four years in the French Army, being a member of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment through 2023. [5]
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." [5] He began competing in international canoeing events under the Comorian flag in 2023. [5] He participated at several events that year, including in Slovenia, Spain, France, Britain and Germany. [3] Among the 2023 events he participated in were the Canoe World Cup and the World Championships. [3] [7] He competed at the World Cup and World Championships again in 2024 and also won the silver medal at the 2024 African championships. [4] [8]
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. [8] He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and is the country's first-ever Olympic canoeist. [5] [9]