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[[Image:Florent Lecoanet gold medal.jpg|thumb|Florent Lecoanet, by many considered to be the greatest Super Mario Kart player of all time]]
[[Image:Florent Lecoanet gold medal.jpg|thumb|Florent Lecoanet, by many considered to be the greatest Super Mario Kart player of all time]]
'''Florent Lecoanet''' (7/2/1984) is a French [[Mario Kart]] player and by many considered to be the greatest [[Super Mario Kart]] player in history. [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=profile&member=16 Florent] has excelled in various multiplayer [[SMK]] events; he won 1 French title ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007 CDF 2007]), 1 European title ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008 CDE 2008]) and 5 World titles ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009 CDM 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010 CDM 2010], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011 CDM 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013 CDM 2013] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014 CDM 2014]).
'''Florent Lecoanet''' (7/2/1984) is a French [[Mario Kart]] player and by many considered to be the greatest [[Super Mario Kart]] player in history. [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=profile&member=16 Florent] has excelled in various multiplayer [[SMK]] events; he won 1 French title ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007 CDF 2007]), 1 European title ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008 CDE 2008]) and 6 World titles ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009 CDM 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010 CDM 2010], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011 CDM 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013 CDM 2013], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014 CDM 2014] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2015 CDM 2015]).
Furthermore, Florent has been GP 150cc Champion of the World on [[PAL]] since March 2006, only overtaken very briefly once by [[Sébastien Holmière]] in the summer of 2006. He extended his GP dominance to [[NTSC]] in January 2007 and has not really been threatened there since. Florent currently holds a staggering total of over 500 World Records accross the numerous categories that the official [http://www.smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records.php?syst=PAL&Ref_group=5&m=OPEN&pays=0 GP website] recognizes.
Furthermore, Florent has been GP 150cc Champion of the World on [[PAL]] between 2006 and 2015 and on [[NTSC]] between 2007 and 2015, an unsurpassed feat. Florent currently holds a staggering total of over 450 World Records accross the numerous categories that the official [http://www.smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records.php?syst=PAL&Ref_group=5&m=OPEN&pays=0 GP website] recognizes.
He has also driven several World Records in [[Time Trial]] (for both [[PAL]] and [[NTSC]]) and is currently ranked 5th in the World in [[PAL]] and 7th in [[NTSC]]. He has driven World Records in [[Non-NBT]] competition as well and in this field he is currently ranked 6th in [[PAL]] and 9th in [[NTSC]].
He has also driven several World Records in [[Time Trial]] (for both [[PAL]] and [[NTSC]]) and is currently ranked 6th in the World in [[PAL]] and 7th in [[NTSC]]. He has driven World Records in [[Non-NBT]] competition as well and in this field he is currently ranked 6th in [[PAL]] and 10th in [[NTSC]].
== SMK World Championship 2009==
== SMK World Championship 2009==
[[Image:Sami,_Florent_and_Geoffrey.JPG|thumb|World Championship 2009 - S.Cetin (ENG), F.Lecoanet (FRA), and G.Label (FRA)]]
[[Image:SamiandFlorent.JPG|thumb|World Championship 2009 - S.Cetin (ENG) and F.Lecoanet (FRA)]]
In 2009, the [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF] evolved into its final form, that of a World Championship (CDM, abbreviation for Championnat du Monde, which means World Championship in French). The event in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allenjoie Allenjoie] was open for and advertised towards the global SMK population and in the end karters from two additional continents participated. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_america North America] was represented by [http://speedrunwiki.com/Drew_Blumfield Drew Blumfield] from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA USA] once again and this time [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/south_america South America] was represented as well by the Champion of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil Brazil], [[Guilherme Arantes]]. Of course, much like in 2008, karters from throughout [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe Europe] were present, including karters from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands Netherlands], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland Switzerland], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain Spain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/england England], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/germany Germany]. Of course the vast majority of the participants came from the hosting nation [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] itself.
In 2009, the [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF] evolved into its final form, that of a World Championship (CDM, abbreviation for Championnat du Monde, which means World Championship in French). The event in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allenjoie Allenjoie] was open for and advertised towards the global SMK population and in the end karters from two additional continents participated. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_america North America] was represented by [http://speedrunwiki.com/Drew_Blumfield Drew Blumfield] from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USA USA] once again and this time [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/south_america South America] was represented as well by the Champion of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil Brazil], [[Guilherme Arantes]]. Of course, much like in 2008, karters from throughout [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe Europe] were present, including karters from the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands Netherlands], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switzerland Switzerland], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain Spain], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/england England], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/germany Germany]. Of course the vast majority of the participants came from the hosting nation [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France] itself.
*In 2007 Florent had technically come closer to performing the "Grand Chelem", winning 3 gold medals and only losing by mere seconds in the TT final. However, seeing TT is traditionally held on the first day, Florent never actually had a shot at it that year beyond day 1.
*In 2007 Florent had technically come closer to performing the "Grand Chelem", winning 3 gold medals and only losing by mere seconds in the TT final. However, seeing TT is traditionally held on the first day, Florent never actually had a shot at it that year beyond day 1.
== SMK World Championship 2015==
Florent claimed his 7th World Champion title and his 9th overall 'Championnat' title at the 2016 SMK World Championships. For the third year running the CDM was hosted in the excellent venue of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Suze-sur-Sarthe La Suze-sur-Sarthe] and this time with a record breaking number of 56 participants. Notably, 6 Americans, 4 of which participated in the competition. At this CDM, Florent had to fight for the top position with fellow French karters [[Geoffrey Label]] and [[Julien Holmiere]], as his traditional rival [[Sami]] endured a series of disappointing results.
Much like last year, Florent cruised into the final for the [[Time Trial]] event, enjoying crashless races throughout the knock-out stages of the tournament. The final turned out to be an almost exact repeat of the 2014 [[Time Trial]] final, facing [[Sami]] on Mario Circuit 2. The feeling of déjà vu was further strengthened by the manner in which Florent defeated his opponent, opening the race with 2 Long Boosts, whereas Sami stuck to normal driving once more. In sharp contrast with the predictable Time Trial results, The Match Race tournament turned out to be full of upsets. In the quarter finals, the established pecking order in SMK was firmly put to the test. [[Jey]], a rising star in multiplayer SMK, managed to eliminate [[Sami]] through a convincing 7-4 victory, while [[Guillaume Leviach]] defeated another tournament favourite in [[Julien Homiere]]. The revolution was almost completed by [[Conor Wood]] from Team UK, who came shockingly close to knocking-out Florent in a 7-6 thriller of a match. Florent recovered from this match well and delivered a solid semi final win against [[Geoffrey Label]]. After the quarter final onslaught, Geo was the biggest remaining threat to Florent's overall position, but Florent disposed of him with a 9-6 win. In the final a surprise opponent awaited him in the form of [[Guillaume Leviach]]. Though Guillaume fought with all he had, Florent proved too strong and clinched an 11-6 victory, acquiring already his 3rd MR gold medal in a row.
The next day, Florent enjoyed a strong group phase showing in battle mode. For a brief moment a monumental ‘Grand Chelem’ looked liked it could be in the works, but it was traditionally disrupted by the man Florent fears most in battle, [[Drew Blumfield]]. Whereas Florent had managed to finally overcome Drew in 2014’s BM semifinal, this year things returned to normal through a 9-4 Drew victory. At the same time [[Geo]] managed to qualify for the final after a thrilling fight with gold medal favourite [[Julien Holmiere]]. Florent subsequently lost the ensuing bronze medal play-off versus a rampant [[Julien]], though for the overall rankings his lead on rival [[Geo]] was still substantial. This was also helped by [[Drew]] defeating [[Geo]] in the BM final; the American, who is a big crowd favourite, reclaimed the gold for the first time since 2010.
Keeping his record breaking GP gold medal streak from 2006 to 2012 in mind, Florent was keen on restarting a streak after his victory in 2014’s GP tournament. Though his rival [[Geo]] managed to top the group stage, Florent secured a relatively calm path to the semifinals, knocking out [[Aron Langerak]] and [[Pierre Coste]] along the way. The semifinal pitted him against [[Julien Holmiere]], a duel made especially piquant by the fact that Julien had replaced Florent as the #1 on the GP150cc time ranking website (http://www.smkgp150cc.com/) just a few months prior to the event. Despite this psychological edge, Florent’s decision making, weapon usage and consistency proved enough to overpower Julien through a 4-2 victory.
Although there was still the prestigious GP final at stake versus his friend [[Geo]], Florent had at least already secured his 9th overall CDM title at this point. Florent started the final in dominant fashion, taking a 2-0 lead. At this point [[Geo]] found his fighting edge, using his fearsome arsenal of opponent hindering tricks to full effect. Florent was already familiar with Geo's skill-set in this regard, but the level of his opponent during this match might still have surprised him a little. As a result, Florent lost his footing and ultimately the match. [[Geo]] won the decisive special cup (clinching his match point to make it 5-3) mainly thanks to a superb green shell long shot on Koopa Beach 2, a move that effectively summarized the match.
Despite his failure to win GP, Florent expressed to be very happy with his results at this CDM, winning his first world championship title as a sponsored player.
== Championship Medal Collection ==
== Championship Medal Collection ==
[[Image:Medaille.JPG|thumb|1 of the 18 gold medals Florent Lecoanet grabbed during the annualy organized Super Mario Kart championships]]
[[Image:Medaille.JPG|thumb|1 of the 20 gold medals Florent Lecoanet grabbed during the annualy organized Super Mario Kart championships]]
Florent is perhaps most famous for his high level performances during the annually organized [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF]/CDE/CDM. His Championship achievements through the years are summarized at the [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=profile&member=16 SMK Championships profile page of Florent Lecoanet]. The [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF] was founded in 2002 by Franck Mazieres; in the beginning it mainly featured [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_people French] competitors and a few [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_people Swiss] ones. This changed in 2008, which showed an influx of competitors from outside of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France]; the [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF] would therefore be known as CDE from that year onwards; CDE being an abbreviation of Championnat d’Europe, meaning Championship of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe Europe] in English. In 2009 the final evolution of the event took place and CDE became CDM, being an abbreviation of Championnat du Monde, meaning [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World World] Championship in English.
Florent is perhaps most famous for his high level performances during the annually organized [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF]/CDE/CDM. His Championship achievements through the years are summarized at the [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=profile&member=16 SMK Championships profile page of Florent Lecoanet]. The [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF] was founded in 2002 by Franck Mazieres; in the beginning it mainly featured [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_people French] competitors and a few [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_people Swiss] ones. This changed in 2008, which showed an influx of competitors from outside of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/France France]; the [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF] would therefore be known as CDE from that year onwards; CDE being an abbreviation of Championnat d’Europe, meaning Championship of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe Europe] in English. In 2009 the final evolution of the event took place and CDE became CDM, being an abbreviation of Championnat du Monde, meaning [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World World] Championship in English.
In various [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF]/CDE/CDM events since 2005 Florent has gathered 8 gold medals in GP ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2006&show=gp 2006], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=gp 2007], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=gp 2008], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=gp 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=gp 2010], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=gp 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2012&show=gp 2012], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=gp 2014]), 5 gold medals in Match Race ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2006&show=mr 2006], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=mr 2007], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=mr 2008], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=mr 2013], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=mr 2014]), 1 gold medal in Battle Mode ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=bm 2007]), 4 gold medals in Time Trial ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=tt 2008], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=tt 2010], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=tt 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=tt 2014]), and one Master Cup* ([http://www.ffsmk.org/downloads/smkchamp2008.zip 2008]). Furthermore he has won 1 silver medal in GP ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=gp 2013]), 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals in Match Race ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=mr 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=mr 2010] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=mr 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2012&show=mr 2012] respectively), 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals in Battle Mode ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=bm 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=bm 2014] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=bm 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=bm 2010] respectively) and 3 silver medals and 1 bronze medal in Time Trial ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=tt 2007], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=tt 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=tt 2013] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2006&show=tt 2006] respectively).
In various [http://www.championnat-smk.org/ CDF]/CDE/CDM events since 2005 Florent has gathered 8 gold medals in GP ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2006&show=gp 2006], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=gp 2007], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=gp 2008], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=gp 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=gp 2010], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=gp 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2012&show=gp 2012], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=gp 2014]), 6 gold medals in Match Race ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2006&show=mr 2006], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=mr 2007], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=mr 2008], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=mr 2013], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=mr 2014], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=mr 2015]), 1 gold medal in Battle Mode ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=bm 2007]), 5 gold medals in Time Trial ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=tt 2008], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=tt 2010], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=tt 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=tt 2014], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2008&show=tt 2015), and one Master Cup* ([http://www.ffsmk.org/downloads/smkchamp2008.zip 2008]). Furthermore he has won 2 silver medals in GP ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=gp 2013], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=gp 2015]), 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals in Match Race ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=mr 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=mr 2010] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=mr 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2012&show=mr 2012] respectively), 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals in Battle Mode ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2011&show=bm 2011], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2014&show=bm 2014] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=bm 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2010&show=bm 2010] respectively) and 3 silver medals and 1 bronze medal in Time Trial ([http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2007&show=tt 2007], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2009&show=tt 2009], [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2013&show=tt 2013] and [http://www.ffsmk.org/?task=results&year=2006&show=tt 2006] respectively).
*The Master Cup was introduced as a new element at the SMK Championships of 2008 as an experiment and was scheduled after the overall competition was finished. The goal was to see if a more randomly organized tournament system could work for future tournaments, clear favourites were not seeded for example, but it was not an undisputed success and would not return in tournaments thereafter.
*The Master Cup was introduced as a new element at the SMK Championships of 2008 as an experiment and was scheduled after the overall competition was finished. The goal was to see if a more randomly organized tournament system could work for future tournaments, clear favourites were not seeded for example, but it was not an undisputed success and would not return in tournaments thereafter.
== Media Coverage ==
Florent got more and more public recognition over the years. After having been crowned World Champion of Super Mario Kart for the 5th time in 2014, he became national news and got interviewed for several of the most famous newspapers in France. Among them, a very interesting article was published in Le Monde's website (English: The World), one of the biggest French daily newspapers site with two million readers per day: http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2014/08/25/florent-lecoanet-30-ans-et-quintuple-champion-du-monde-a-super-mario-kart_4475456_4408996.html
Florent was also invited as special guest of several videogames TV shows, including Game One eSport (Game One - http://www.gameone.net/programmes/game-one-esport/w0inlx/saisons/2015/1q7fxg/episodes/gameone-esport-du-07-02-15/pqw9mc/Game-One-e-Sport-du-07-02-15/7kiley), Extra Life (Nolife TV - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2d1nao_extra-life-sur-florent-lecoanet-neo-super-mario-kart-no-life_videogames) and Speed Game (Nesblog/jeuxvideos.com - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WKVF38yxpM and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJC_gOCaaVo).
Other interviews can be found here:
http://www.lepoint.fr/high-tech-internet/super-mario-kart-l-etonnant-championnat-20-08-2014-1855108_47.php
http://leplus.nouvelobs.com/contribution/1235560-je-suis-champion-du-monde-de-super-mario-kart-10-ans-d-entrainement-3h-par-soir-minimum.html
Moreover, Florent was ranked 3rd of the greatest French eSport champions of all-time (http://www.topito.com/top-esport-joueurs-francais-fifa-starcraft-usf4) and got mentionned in various articles dealing with eSport, including on Redbull's website (http://www.redbull.com/en/esports/stories/1331676707051/retro-gaming-esports-still-going-strong).
== Awesome Games Done Quick 2016 ==
In 2016, Florent participated in Awesome Games Done Quick ([https://gamesdonequick.com/ AGDQ]), the biggest worldwide speedrunning marathon that is held annually and raises funds for [http://preventcancer.org/ the prevent cancer foundation]. On the first day of AGDQ 2016, Florent faced-off against former [[Time Trial]] #1[[ Karel van Duijvenboden]] (alias KVD). Their race will be ingrained in the memory of most of the people that witnessed it live, as it climaxed into one of the closest finishes in the history of these events. The goal of the race was to complete all cups of Super Mario Kart (GP150cc, [[NTSC]] version) as fast as possible, each on a separate console. Beforehand, there was no clear favourite. [[Karel]] is the World Record holder in this category ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrCD92rqX1Y 31m08s]) and the most trained (for this specific challenge) out of the two, but Florent’s overall GP prowess and ability under pressure would almost certainly be enough to make up for that, leaving a roughly 50-50 winning chance.
The race turned out to be close all the way through, with multiple lead changes. Florent started off strong, jumping into a big lead of 13 seconds during mushroom cup. After this, [[Karel]] clawed back with some clean racing on flower and star cup and actually started the deciding special cup with a healthy 16 second lead. Florent mounted an incredible comeback building all the way through this final cup. His antics included an expert wall-skip shortcut on [[Donut Plains 3]] through the timely use of a mushroom. On the final track, [[Rainbow Road]], [[Karel]] still had 6 seconds of advantage left, implying that Florent needed to get a feather or mushroom to win through a possible final lap trick ending. Instead of that happening, [[Karel]] suffered an unlucky blow as Luigi suddenly rag dolled into his kart upon firing a red shell, which ironically, [[Karel]] attempted to try and move Luigi out of the way with. This set-up a thriller of a final lap that culminated in a highly memorable photo finish. In the end Florent had won by ~0.13 seconds, a mind-blowingly small difference after over 32 minutes of racing. Afterwards, Florent would call this performance one of the absolute highlights of his career as an SMK player.
-The video of the full race can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeAqg-L-tNM
-The video of the photo finish can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWEeiuOoyuc
-Full video that includes the pre-match interview by [https://twitter.com/blechyman?lang=en Blechy] and the donation incentive Match Race performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7JTayEh4SY&list=PLq8o_9QDqDPURJjZ2_tQTLTatriJQavEV
Approximately 150.000 viewers had tuned in live to watch this run via Twitch ((https://www.twitch.tv/gamesdonequick).), easily the largest audience any SMK performance has ever received. Thanks to the generous donations of the viewers ($2,879.19 in total), the donation incentive was met (https://gamesdonequick.com/tracker/bids/agdq2016). This allowed Florent and [[Karel]] to deliver an encore performance. The idea that they both had beforehand was to give the viewers a bite of what top level multiplayer SMK / CDM is like. Therefore they chose to play 1 round of Match Race on [[Choco Island 1]], which is known as the track that has the most interesting meta-game and item dynamics. Shockingly, this race also ended in a photo finish. The race started with a nice weaponry exchange in the beginning laps, after which both drivers collected a feather to set-up a trick finish. This time it was Karel's turn to come out a fraction faster. When the SMK pairing left the stage, the show that they had provided was received with a standing ovation from the audience (approximately 400 people) present in the hall. Much applause was also coming through via Twitch chat. Many also commented on the excellent commentary provided by [[Dan Hoernemann]], who had truly done a stellar job at explaining all the SMK technicalities to the public.
Florent had travelled across the Atlantic ocean to attend this event, which was held in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington,_D.C. Washington DC] in the [http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/virginia/hilton-washington-dulles-airport-IADAHHF/index.html Hilton Washington Dulles Airport hotel]. This marked the first occasion that Florent undertook intercontinental travel for a Super Mario Kart related endeavor.
== Time Trial ==
== Time Trial ==
[[Image:Bc2.jpg|thumb|Bowser Castle 2 GP150cc World Record]]
[[Image:Bc2.jpg|thumb|Bowser Castle 2 GP150cc World Record]]
Florent joined the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/ SMK Players’ Site] on the 7th of August of 2005 with a #85 world rank.
Florent joined the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/ SMK Players’ Site] on the 7th of August of 2005 with a #85 world rank.
Although not a [[Time Trial]] expert to begin with, he has made his mark in that competition as well by climbing as high up as #3 in [[PAL]], a position he reached in January 2007 (currently he is ranked 5th on the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/afp.php World rankings]). Moreover he won the highly acclaimed Player of the Year ([[POY]]) award in 2006 (see [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/awards.php Awards page]), a victory he secured by driving his first ever [[Time Trial]] WR in [[PAL]] on 22 December of the same year; a 9”37 WR tie at [[KB1]] flap. One month before that, on the 13th of November, he had already driven his first ever [[Time Trial]] WR on [[NTSC]] with a 11”52 [[GV2]] flap. He joined the [[NTSC]] side of the competition a few months prior to getting his first WR there, in September 2006, entering in a high position at #12 on the ladder. The highest rank he ever reached in [[NTSC]] so far was 4th during March 2009 (currently he is ranked 7th on the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/afn.php World rankings]). He currently holds 4 WRs in [[PAL]] and 4 WRs in [[NTSC]] (see World Record charts of [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/wrp.php PAL] and [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/wrn.php NTSC]) and specializes in [[MC2]] longboosting and [[KB1]] and [[VL1]] water/snow sliding.
Although not a [[Time Trial]] expert to begin with, he has made his mark in that competition as well by climbing as high up as #3 in [[PAL]], a position he reached in January 2007 (currently he is ranked 6th on the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/afp.php World rankings]). Moreover he won the highly acclaimed Player of the Year ([[POY]]) award in 2006 (see [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/awards.php Awards page]), a victory he secured by driving his first ever [[Time Trial]] WR in [[PAL]] on 22 December of the same year; a 9”37 WR tie at [[KB1]] flap. One month before that, on the 13th of November, he had already driven his first ever [[Time Trial]] WR on [[NTSC]] with a 11”52 [[GV2]] flap. He joined the [[NTSC]] side of the competition a few months prior to getting his first WR there, in September 2006, entering in a high position at #12 on the ladder. The highest rank he ever reached in [[NTSC]] so far was 4th during March 2009 (currently he is ranked 7th on the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/afn.php World rankings]). He currently holds 2 WRs in [[PAL]] and 2 WRs in [[NTSC]] (see World Record charts of [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/wrp.php PAL] and [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/wrn.php NTSC]) and specializes in [[MC2]] longboosting and [[KB1]] and [[VL1]] water/snow sliding.
He also participates in [[SMK]] [[Non-NBT]] competition at the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smknonnbt/ Non-NBT Players’ Site], which is an old school [[SMK]] competition that limits the use or abuse of zigzag boosting. He joined the [[PAL]] ladder of this site in October 2005 in 31st position. He joined the [[NTSC]] part of the rankings 1 year later in October 2006 in 24th position. To further demonstrate his all-round [[SMK]] ability he also hit WR’s in this competition, the first one being the [[VL1]] 5-lap WR (with a time of 50”88) on November 14, 2007. He currently holds 4 [[PAL]] [[Non-NBT]] WR’s and is ranked 6th in [[PAL]] and 9th in [[NTSC]] on the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smknonnbt/ Non-NBT Players’ Site].
He also participates in [[SMK]] [[Non-NBT]] competition at the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smknonnbt/ Non-NBT Players’ Site], which is an old school [[SMK]] competition that limits the use or abuse of zigzag boosting. He joined the [[PAL]] ladder of this site in October 2005 in 31st position. He joined the [[NTSC]] part of the rankings 1 year later in October 2006 in 24th position. To further demonstrate his all-round [[SMK]] ability he also hit WR’s in this competition, the first one being the [[VL1]] 5-lap WR (with a time of 50”88) on November 14, 2007. He currently holds 4 [[PAL]] [[Non-NBT]] WR’s and is ranked 6th in [[PAL]] and 10th in [[NTSC]] on the [http://www.mariokart64.com/smknonnbt/ Non-NBT Players’ Site].
Various Time-Trial videos of Florent are displayed on his Youtube channel: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8A4E6C0B7E1DF8F3 PAL TT videos] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0suz2XssEg&list=PLCEF94A38494264FA NTSC TT videos].
Various Time-Trial videos of Florent are displayed on his Youtube channel: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8A4E6C0B7E1DF8F3 PAL TT videos] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0suz2XssEg&list=PLCEF94A38494264FA NTSC TT videos].
== Grand Prix 150cc milestone ==
== Grand Prix 150cc milestone ==
Through the years Florent has extended his GP dominance in all categories of both [[PAL]] and [[NTSC]] (the various rankings can be checked at the [http://www.smkgp150cc.com/ GP 150 cc site]. To celebrate the particularly impressive milestone of achieving all 20 Best Lap World Records in the NTSC Open category ([http://www.smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records.php?syst=NTSC&Ref_group=5&m=OPEN&pays=0 NTSC Open World Record page]), he published a video showcasing all 20 flap World Records. This video was partially produced by [[Sébastien Holmière]] and is considered one of the single most impressive [[Super Mario Kart]] videos to date, showing unrivalled item mastery and driving. It can be viewed here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPKa8S5_YlM).
Through the years Florent has demonstrated his GP mastery in all categories of both [[PAL]] and [[NTSC]] (the various rankings can be checked at the [http://www.smkgp150cc.com/ GP 150 cc site]). To celebrate the particularly impressive milestone of achieving all 20 Best Lap World Records in the NTSC Open category ([http://www.smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records.php?syst=NTSC&Ref_group=5&m=OPEN&pays=0 NTSC Open World Record page]) in 2009, he published a video showcasing all 20 flap World Records. This video was partially produced by [[Sébastien Holmière]] and is considered one of the single most impressive [[Super Mario Kart]] videos to date, showing unrivalled item mastery and driving. It can be viewed here: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPKa8S5_YlM).
[[Image:Academie de rennes2.jpg|thumb|Florent works for the Ministry of National Education]]
[[Image:Academie de rennes2.jpg|thumb|Florent works for the Ministry of National Education]]
In a follow-up from his NTSC flap compilation from 2009, Florent and his close friend and rival [[Geoffrey Label]] (known as Geo throughout the community) published a video showcasing all 20 Best Lap World Records in the PAL Open category ([http://www.smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records.php?syst=PAL&Ref_group=5&m=OPEN&pays=0 PAL Open World Record page]), in 2011. It features some of the most incredible driving and creative item strategies in GP that the world has witnessed so far. It can be viewed here: (http://youtu.be/rtkxN7it01k).
In a follow-up from his NTSC flap compilation from 2009, Florent and his close friend and rival [[Geoffrey Label]] (known as Geo throughout the community) published a video showcasing all 20 Best Lap World Records in the PAL Open category ([http://www.smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records.php?syst=PAL&Ref_group=5&m=OPEN&pays=0 PAL Open World Record page]), in 2011. It features some of the most incredible driving and creative item strategies in GP that the world has witnessed so far. It can be viewed here: (http://youtu.be/rtkxN7it01k).
== Professional life ==
== Professional life ==
In daily life Florent has completed his studies and is to become an overall teacher at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_school elementary school]. He studied 5 years in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angers Angers], 1 year in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mans Le Mans] and 1 year in his city of birth, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes Rennes]. One thing is certain, whoever his students are going to be, they don’t stand even the smallest chance of winning when they play against their teacher in [[SMK]], or [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennis tennis] for that matter…
In daily life Florent has completed his studies. He studied 5 years in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angers Angers], 1 year in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Mans Le Mans] and 1 year in his city of birth, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rennes Rennes]. Florent used to be an overall teacher at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elementary_school elementary school], but he is now working for the administrative part of the National Education ministry. Ironically, Florent works at the Local Education Authority where he is in charge of organizing the competitive exams for students who are willing to become teachers at primary school.
[[Image:Flo_recognition_program.jpg|thumb|Who is who? Florent on the top, Roger in the middle?]]
[[Image:Flo_recognition_program.jpg|thumb|Who is who? Florent on the top, Roger in the middle?]]
== The Federer comparison ==
== The Federer comparison ==
Florent is a not a typical gamer and does not play a wide variety of games. Apart from the various [[Mario Kart]] games he loves playing [http://www.absolute-playstation.com/api_review/rcircuit.htm Circuit Breakers], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Evolution_Soccer Pro Evolution Soccer] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid Metal Gear Solid], but more for fun than to really excell in them. He is however one of the best in the world at another classic Nintendo game, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros. Super Mario Bros], being within seconds of the speedrun WR and holding the French Record (which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-binWq0UPw). Moreover, he currently holds 29 World Records at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Machines_V4 Micro Machines V4] and has very high ranked records at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Rally_Championship Sega Rally Championship] (#2 in the World on Desert Course's lap with a 49"05 chrono) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brain_Academy Big Brain Academy] (#5 and #7 in the World respectively on Coin-parison and Sound Bite levels).
Florent is a not a typical gamer and does not play a wide variety of games. Apart from the various [[Mario Kart]] games he loves playing [http://www.absolute-playstation.com/api_review/rcircuit.htm Circuit Breakers], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro_Evolution_Soccer Pro Evolution Soccer] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_Gear_Solid Metal Gear Solid], but more for fun than to really excell in them. He is however one of the best in the world at another classic Nintendo game, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros. Super Mario Bros], being within seconds of the speedrun WR and holding the French Record (which can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-binWq0UPw). Moreover, he currently holds 29 World Records at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_Machines_V4 Micro Machines V4] and has very high ranked records at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Rally_Championship Sega Rally Championship] (#2 in the World on Desert Course's lap with a 49"05 chrono) and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brain_Academy Big Brain Academy] (#5 and #7 in the World respectively on Coin-parison and Sound Bite levels).
[[Image:Keep-calm-and-sponsor-me-please.png|thumb| ]]
== Future ==
== Future ==
== External Links ==
== External Links ==
* [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/profile.php?pid=28 Florent's SMK profile]
* [https://www.facebook.com/Florent.Neo.Lecoanet Florent's Facebook Fan Page]
* [http://www.mariokart64.com/smk/profile.php?pid=28 Florent's SMK Time Trial profile]
* [http://smkgp150cc.com/SOAaffiche_records_perso.php?syst=PAL&user=13&pays=0 Florent's SMK GP150cc profile]
* [http://www.mariokart64.com/mkdd/profile.php?pid=885 Florent's MKDD profile]
* [http://www.mariokart64.com/mkdd/profile.php?pid=885 Florent's MKDD profile]
* [http://www.mariokart64.com/mksc/profile.php?pid=99 Florent's MKSC profile]
* [http://www.mariokart64.com/mksc/profile.php?pid=99 Florent's MKSC profile]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Karters]]
[[Category:Karters]]