Jury

Henri Leconte, born on July 4, 1963, boasts one of the most impressive records in French tennis. Talented, generous, passionate, determined, and outspoken, the former World No. 5 and Davis Cup champion has always left a lasting impression. Known for hitting shots that “don’t even exist,” as Boris Becker once said, thanks to his famous and feared left arm, he has made an indelible mark on tennis history.

A professional player from 1980 to 1996, Henri Leconte captured nine ATP singles titles and reached his career-high ranking of World No. 5 in 1986. In doubles, he claimed ten titles, including Roland-Garros 1984 alongside Yannick Noah, and climbed to World No. 6 in 1985. Alongside Guy Forget, he achieved an incredible record in Davis Cup doubles, remaining undefeated with 11 wins in 11 matches.

In 1985, 1986, and 1988, he qualified for the Masters, the prestigious year-end tournament in New York featuring the world’s top eight players. Finalist at Roland-Garros in 1988 against Mats Wilander, Leconte remains the only French player in the Open Era to have reached three Roland-Garros semifinals (1986, 1988, 1992). Versatile and spectacular, he excelled on all surfaces with his unique and attacking style of play.

One of the highlights of his career came in 1991, when he helped France win the Davis Cup in Lyon. After returning from a third back surgery and ranked only World No. 157, he stunned Pete Sampras, then ranked No. 7, before winning the decisive doubles match with Guy Forget. This victory, France’s first Davis Cup title since 1932, remains one of the greatest moments in French tennis history.

After retiring, Henri has remained deeply connected to tennis. He served as President of the tennis section of the Levallois Sporting Club from 2010 to 2024, continues to compete on the Senior Tour, and passionately shares his experience with younger generations. A man of passion and communication, he has become a recognized figure in the media, appearing on Eurosport and RTL, and regularly speaks at conferences on personal growth and pushing beyond limits.

Masomah Ali Zada is an Afghan cyclist who competed for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Born into a persecuted Shiite minority, her family fled Afghanistan to escape Taliban threats, reaching Iran by foot, though they were denied refugee rights there. It was in Iran that she learned to cycle, a skill she further developed after returning to Afghanistan, despite severe societal opposition.

After enduring threats, she sought asylum in France in 2017. In 2019, she became the first refugee in France to earn an Olympic scholarship. In 2022, Ali Zada was appointed to the IOC Athletes’ Commission, marking a historic first for a refugee athlete. In 2024, she took on the role of Chef de Mission for the Refugee Olympic Team at the Paris 2024 Games.

She was officially announced as a Champion for Peace alongside Peace and Sport in 2025, after participating in the Peace and Sport 2024 Forum as a speaker.

Representative of the Monegasque Olympic Committee

Member of the Board of Directors of the Monegasque Ski Federation for about thirty years, Mr Robert Colle was President from 1998 to 2005.

He was part of the Monegasque Olympic Committee delegation at the Salt Lake City and Turin Olympic Games. Since 2005 he has been Vice-President of the Federation.

Mr Robert Colle was Secretary General of the Ministry of State and then Secretary General of the Government of the Principality of Monaco from 2005 to February 2022.

Lonsana Doumbouya is a former Guinean international footballer who became one of the most sought-after strikers in the Thai league.
Born in Nice, he started his journey through the French elite training system. He spent several years playing in Limoges before joining the youth academy of EA Guingamp. After competing in the professional leagues of Belgium, Scotland, and Austria, he eventually decided to take on a new challenge in Asia. His career then took him to China and later to Thailand, where he thrived for seven years, winning a historic domestic treble and finishing as the league’s top scorer.

Lonsana managed to establish himself abroad not only through his performances on the pitch but also thanks to his strong interpersonal skills, which allowed him to adapt seamlessly to very different cultural environments. A thoughtful and determined personality, he is also, at 35, a seasoned entrepreneur with deep ties to Limoges, the city where he grew up.

At the crossroads of three continents — Europe, Asia, and Africa — Lonsana has built an impressive reputation both on and off the field. As an UNSS ambassador, he is deeply committed to inspiring and mentoring the younger generations of footballers and has recently launched his very own football academy in Limoges.

Stephane Le Goff has a postgraduate degree in political science and is passionate about sport.
He was a Grand Reporter for Canal + for over 30 years, from 1989 to 2018. An assiduous sportsman, he has made it his mission to shed light and to challenge preconceived ideas about a multitude of sporting disciplines. He has made around fifty documentaries, some of which have won awards.

Stéphane Le Goff has received two "Micros d'Or" awards for best documentary. His film "Anger within", on the life of Jonah Lomu, the All Blacks iconic player, was used by World Rugby to promote rugby around the world. He also won an award at the Monaco SPORTEL in 2019.

A respected Grand Reporter, he has covered a dozen Olympic Games, but also a dozen World Cups in many sports (rugby, football, skiing...), the Copa America and the US Open. Stephane Le Goff is now a volunteer on the boards of several sports associations.

Emmanuelle Lacaze has overseen more than a hundred rebranding projects in France and around the world, most of which have been recognized at prestigious international festivals.

In 2020, Emmanuelle acquired 100% ownership of the agency. Under her leadership, Gédéon was named European Agency of the Year at Promax Europe and has received more than 140 awards in just four years.

Starting in 2019, and over the course of five years, Gédéon worked closely with the Paris 2024 brand teams to develop the animated branding guidelines for the Games and for the French national team. The agency also produced over 35 communication films related to the event, including several campaigns featuring the official mascots. In May 2024, Gédéon was selected to work on the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Emmanuelle has also produced several fiction projects. Her first feature film, La Vie d’une autre (Another Woman’s Life), starring Juliette Binoche and Mathieu Kassovitz and directed by Sylvie Testud, drew over 400,000 admissions in France.
In 2016, she developed the original concept for the mini-series Joy for Studio+, the first app dedicated to digital series. Directed by Nan Feix and shot in Los Angeles, Joy was broadcast in the United States, Europe, and Russia.

Emmanuelle serves on the board of the Club des Directeurs Artistiques and is also a board member of Gema Europe. She is a member of the association Pour des Femmes dans les Médias (PDFM), and is actively involved in mentoring initiatives across the television, cinema, radio, music, and new media industries.

Representative of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee

Allison Pineau, born on May 2, 1989, in Chartres, is an iconic figure in French handball. Her exceptional talent, game vision, and leadership earned her the title of IHF World Handball Player of the Year in 2009, at just 20 years old. She remains the only French player to have received this prestigious distinction.

Her career with the French national team is filled with success. She has won all three major titles: the World Championship in 2017, the European Championship in 2018, and the ultimate Olympic gold medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Her impressive record also includes silver medals at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and in several World Championships.

Allison’s club career has been equally remarkable, taking her to play for prestigious teams in France and across Europe. She concluded her professional playing career with Metz Handball in June 2025, finishing on a high note with a French Championship and French Cup double.

With over 270 caps and nearly 700 goals scored for the French national team, Allison Pineau has left a lasting mark on the history of her sport. Her journey, determination, and resilience in overcoming injuries have made her one of the most respected players of her generation.

Now retired from the court, Allison is embarking on a career in the sports business industry, while continuing her work as a speaker and consultant for La Chaîne L'Équipe. In 2024, she published her autobiography, ALLI, and in 2025, she was elected to the High-Level Athletes Commission (CAHN) of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee (CNOSF).

After a long career in the press, notably as Director of Photography and later Co-Editor-in-Chief of L’Équipe Magazine for more than twelve years, Jean-Denis Walter founded in 2013 a gallery in Paris dedicated exclusively to showcasing and selling original prints by renowned photographers, with a sole focus on the theme of sports. It remains, to this day, the first and only gallery in the world entirely devoted to this subject. He also works as a curator and still occasionally writes articles, but always on the topic of sports photography—his true passion.

His mission is to elevate the genre and demonstrate that certain great sports photographs have the artistic quality to transcend their original context, moving from the pages of a magazine to the walls of a gallery. The subject runs deep: sports is not a limiting theme—you can tell the story of an entire society through it. Every photographer, every style, every unique touch can find expression within it.

A great photograph is always a balance between its aesthetic power and the narrative it conveys. This balance isn’t always centered, and that’s true of every piece in the gallery’s catalogue, which now includes works from over sixty photographers. Some are specialists in sports, others are not, but each offers a personal, rare, and artistic perspective on the unique world of sports.

The gallery fully explores the genre: major events, iconic moments, legendary champions, but also, at times, more unconventional works. Even these must, no matter how striking, have at least an indirect connection to the gallery’s DNA—sports.