Laurent Sauriat, mental performance coach of JDA Dijon Wheelchair Basketball and founder of TOP Consulting, has been selected to join the French national ice hockey team’s staff ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The Games will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 in Italy. This appointment marks a strong recognition of his expertise in high-level mental preparation and performance optimisation under pressure.
A Recognised Expertise in Elite Sport Mental Preparation
For many years, Laurent Sauriat has been accompanying professional athletes, high-level teams and high-demand environments in the development of mental performance.
As founder of TOP Consulting, a consultancy specialising in mental preparation, he works in contexts where performance depends as much on physical capacity as on mental and emotional mastery.
His support focuses notably on: sustainable performance, managing pressure in competition, rapid and clear decision-making, athletes’ mental balance.
Potential Optimization Techniques (TOP©) at the Heart of the Approach
The approach developed by TOP Consulting is based on Potential Optimization Techniques (TOP©), a structured, pragmatic and immediately applicable method in the field.
TOP© allow effective work on: individual and collective mental preparation, stress and emotion management, concentration and attention, self-confidence and team confidence, mental and nervous recovery, emotional regulation in competitive situations.
This methodology is used both in elite sport and in high-pressure professional environments.
Mental Preparation and Performance at JDA Dijon Wheelchair Basketball
Within JDA Dijon Wheelchair Basketball, Laurent Sauriat intervenes as the collective mental performance coach, in close connection with the club’s sporting and human project.
His role includes: individual player support (clarification of sporting objectives, implementation of performance routines, development of confidence and commitment), mental competition preparation (managing pressure and stakes, anticipating match scenarios, improving decision-making under stress), collective work (strengthening team cohesion, improving communication, building a shared performance culture), and transmitting concrete tools (techniques directly usable in training, tools activatable in match situations).
A Multi-Sector Experience in Service of Excellence
Laurent Sauriat’s expertise extends beyond wheelchair basketball. His career also includes: accompaniment of professional players at JDA Dijon Basketball (able-bodied basketball), interventions with French Air Force preparation teams, and contexts characterised by strong operational demands, immediate lucidity, and decisive emotional mastery.
This diversity of environments strengthens the robustness and transferability of the TOP© methods.
2026 Winter Olympics: International Recognition
Laurent Sauriat’s selection to the French ice hockey team’s staff for the 2026 Games represents: recognition of his mental preparation expertise, validation of the effectiveness of Potential Optimization Techniques, a strong signal for TOP Consulting’s visibility, and an illustration of JDA Dijon Wheelchair Basketball’s ability to surround itself with top-level expertise.
TOP Consulting: Mental Preparation at the Highest Level
Through this Olympic appointment, TOP Consulting confirms its position as a reference player in: mental preparation for elite athletes, individual and collective performance accompaniment, stress and pressure management, and sustainable performance in demanding environments.
Cap on Milano Cortina 2026
JDA Dijon Wheelchair Basketball extends all its congratulations to Laurent Sauriat and wishes him every success in this Olympic adventure alongside the French ice hockey team.