Last May, Esteban Dorr, and its partner Florian Bourrassaud, left the ping Worlds organized in Doha, with a bronze medal. But Esteban Dorr, on a celebration was injured in the meniscus. He has since been operated and has started a long fitness process. Present in Rouen, for the final of Pro A with its club the Alliance Nîmes-Montpellier, Esteban Dorr, for RMC Sport, took stock of its state of health.
Esteban Dorr, already, how are you?
Everything is fine, it's great to be here in Rouen. This is a first little victory in my convalescence. I had the surgeon's green light. I was more than happy. I did not jum in joy otherwise I would have renovated the meniscus (laughs). Super happy, super happy to be with guys again, to regain the pace, to be part of the team 100%, it's really cool.
The meniscus operation took place three weeks ago, how has it been for you since?
I was operated on June 5 and I had a week of immobilization. Behind I was removed the sons and I started rehabilitation, physiotherapy. There I try to do myself at best without lingering, I will keep it on the bench anyway but it is really cool to be there, we take step by step. I have an appointment again in early July to start a new step but for the moment all the lights are green. The whole team is really super happy with what I produce and I am super happy with what I produce too.
In the fitness process, are you in the right timing?
I don't necessarily get timing. It's just a few steps to be taken after a while but it is really to the sensations. I will not try to put a deadline for something or anything, if you get there, it is good, if we do not get there we will repel the next day but the goal is to progress a little bit every day and for the moment it is really what I feel so I'm really happy.
Can we hope to see you again at the table in how long?
We aims to resume rethletization in September and after that see how my knee is made at a bigger drive load and see how the knee is done at a ping training also with high intensity. I will normally be able to resume table tennis fairly quickly but with few uncertainties and a really limited game duration but to really resume 100% I will take me at least six months I think.
Do you miss the ping?
My legs wriggled, my hand wriggles but it's really a lot of good, I'm super happy to be with the guys and see them play live.
How do you manage to take care of yourself?
I try to keep a rhythm of sleep already. For me it is the hardest part but there I managed to resume a rhythm since I resumed the physiotherapist because before I did not have too much appointment, nothing, to be immobilized at home is still special but now that I have the physiotherapist I always wake up quite early in the morning. And I owed physics, my physical preparation makes me coach anyway to keep a line of form because if I don't keep it, it will be even harder to come back so I have a lot of physics to do, work on everything around the ping, the sponsors, the partnerships, after I have meetings and all that so no it's another part of the ping that I like because it allows me to progress and keep it. back.
And with Florian Bourrassaud, your partner, do you give yourself news?
He too is fine, he is preparing for his tour in South America at the end of July, and the United States in early August so everything is fine. I know he returned home to his first club so he takes advantage of the medal. You will also have to enjoy it together because I was really not able to move or do anything just after the world so I hope we can meet again quickly to celebrate.
And don't you miss it too?
A little bit, a little bit, not too much either (laughs).
I imagine that it must make you weird to be back home, at your parents and to be calm during this period?
It was really special, especially since it had been almost 15 years since I had not spent more than ten days with me so in fact resume, to have a different pace because I lived alone it is special. But there I manage to create my own pace within the family so no it's really cool.
This forced break also allows you to recharge your batteries?
Yes, I recharge myself and it also allows me to start again on a new cycle, we will say that the culmination was really the medal to the world and start on a new cycle having reached this, it allows me to consolidate new bases and see where we want to go with the whole team and where I want to go.
Precisely this medal at the Worlds, have you had time to do?
I want to say that the injury is part of the life of an athlete, it is part of the career of an sportsman so for me I prefer that it happens at that time rather than prep of the world or at the first point of the world or earlier in the Comèt '. I had an injury in fact due to a malformation in the menisci so it was doomed to crack, it cracked at that time. There is something that we will not be able to withdraw to me is this medal, it is this course that we did with Flo so no I start to really realize it. There are people who recognize me, there are people who come to talk to me. I went to the Grand-Est championship last weekend. And it's weird when you have almost half of the room that asks you about photos, you had interviews, requests and all that so it's really cool and I really try to be an engine for future generations. My goal is really to give this desire for young people to have fun, to play ping and I that's how I started ping, that's how I understand the ping. It is really to have fun and give the best of yourself.
