{{Short description|Comorian canoeist (born 1997)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | image = | caption = | alt = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|11|29|df=y}}<ref name="olym"/> | birth_place = Anjouan, Comoros<ref name="olym"/> | height = | weight = | country = {{COM}} | sport = Canoe slalom | event = K1, Kayak cross<ref name="olym"/> | club = | education = }} '''Andy Barat''' (born 29 November 1997)<ref name="olym">{{cite web |url=https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/athlete/andy-barat_1535180 |title=Barat Andy |website=Paris 2024 Olympics |access-date=29 July 2024}}</ref> is a Comorian slalom canoeist who has competed at the international level since 2023, specializing in K1 and kayak cross.<ref>{{cite web |title=Andy BARAT (COM) |url=https://www.canoeslalom.net/doku.php/en_sportler/spo_21482b |website=CanoeSlalom.net |access-date=12 October 2025}}</ref> He represented Comoros at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
==Biography== Barat was born in 1997<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ffcanoe.asso.fr/eau_vive/slalom/classement/embarcations/voir/k1h-andy-barat |title=Andy Barat |website=Fédération française de canoë |language=fr}}</ref> and spent his early years in Mutsamudu, a city in the Comoros, before later moving to France.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news |url=https://lagazettedescomores.com/sport/jeux-olympiques-un-kayakiste-comorien-aux-jo-de-paris-2024-.html |newspaper=La Gazette des Comores |title=Jeux Olympiques: Un kayakiste comorien aux JO de Paris 2024 |language=fr |trans-title=Olympic Games: A Comorian kayaker at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games |author=Imtiyaz |date=4 July 2024}}</ref> His father is from Anjouan while his mother is French.<ref name="auto2">{{Cite news |url=https://www.habarizacomores.com/2024/06/jo-2024-representer-mon-pays-les.html |newspaper=Habariza Comores |title=JO 2024 : «Représenter mon pays, les Comores, est une évidence |trans-title=Olympic Games 2024: "Representing my country, the Comoros, is obvious" |language=fr |date=26 June 2024}}</ref> He played multiple sports growing up, including football, judo and BMX biking.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news |url=https://www.lequotidien.re/actualites/ocean-indien/comores-une-premiere-un-kayakiste-aux-jeux-olympiques/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240706192656/https://www.lequotidien.re/actualites/ocean-indien/comores-une-premiere-un-kayakiste-aux-jeux-olympiques/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-07-06 |newspaper=Le Quotidien de La Réunion |title=Comores – Une première: un kayakiste aux Jeux olympiques |language=fr |date=4 July 2024 |trans-title=Comoros – A first: a kayaker at the Olympic Games |author=Banc, Frédéric}}</ref> When he was approximately 13, he was introduced to kayak slalom by his cousin, a member of the club CKClisson in Loire-Atlantique.<ref name="auto"/> In France, Barat attended the Raphaël-Elizé school in Sablé-sur-Sarthe.<ref name="auto"/> He competed at canoeing competitions in France and won the silver medal at the French Slalom Cup in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/canoe-kayak/canoe-kayak-coupe-de-france-de-slalom-n3-andy-barat-en-tete-de-bout-en-bout-29b4cc9e-be8c-11ec-b5a2-c964f2de35c0 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240706193832/https://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/canoe-kayak/canoe-kayak-coupe-de-france-de-slalom-n3-andy-barat-en-tete-de-bout-en-bout-29b4cc9e-be8c-11ec-b5a2-c964f2de35c0 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2024-07-06 |newspaper=Ouest-France |title=Canoë-kayak. Coupe de France de slalom N3: Andy Barat, en tête de bout en bout |date=17 April 2022 |via=archive.today |trans-title=Canoe Kayak. French Slalom Cup N3: Andy Barat, in the lead from start to finish |language=fr}}</ref> He also served four years in the French Army, being a member of the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment through 2023.<ref name="auto"/>
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."<ref name="auto"/> He began competing in international canoeing events under the Comorian flag in 2023.<ref name="auto"/> He participated at several events that year, including in Slovenia, Spain, France, Britain and Germany.<ref name="auto1"/> Among the 2023 events he participated in were the Canoe Slalom World Cup and the World Championships.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://comoresmagazine.net/2024/06/27/andy-barat-le-kayakiste-comorien-qui-reve-des-jo-2024/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240706200039/https://comoresmagazine.net/2024/06/27/andy-barat-le-kayakiste-comorien-qui-reve-des-jo-2024/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=6 July 2024 |newspaper=Comores Magazine |language=fr |trans-title=Andy Barat, the Comorian kayaker who dreams of the 2024 Olympics |date=27 June 2024 |title=Andy Barat, le kayakiste comorien qui rêve des JO 2024}}</ref> He competed at the World Cup again in 2024 and also won the silver medal at the 2024 African championships.<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto3">{{Cite news |url=https://lagazettedescomores.com/sport/cano%C3%AB-andy-barat,-le-pr%C3%A9curseur-du-cano%C3%AB-aux-comores-.html |newspaper=La Gazette des Comores |title=CANOË Andy Barat, le précurseur du Canoë aux Comores |trans-title=Canoe: Andy Barat, the precursor of Canoeing in the Comoros |author=Imtiyaz |date=22 February 2024 |language=fr}}</ref>
He qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics and is the country's first-ever Olympic canoeist.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.comoresinfos.net/andy-barat-de-clisson-aux-jeux-olympiques-le-parcours-dun-kayakiste-comorien/ |website=Comores-Infos.net |title=Andy Barat : De Clisson aux Jeus Olympiques, le parcours d'un Kayakiste Comorien |trans-title=Andy Barat: From Clisson to the Olympic Games, the journey of a Comorian kayaker |date=27 June 2024 |language=fr}}</ref> 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{{nbsp}}... if not non-existent" in the country.<ref name="auto3"/> 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.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{ICF|andy-barat}} * {{Olympics.com|andy-barat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barat, Andy}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:French male canoeists Category:Comorian male canoeists Category:Olympic canoeists for the Comoros Category:Canoeists at the 2024 Summer Olympics Category:People from Anjouan Category:Comorian people of French descent Category:French sportspeople of Comorian descent Category:21st-century French sportsmen