As a sports journalist, he had interviewed many champions, especially cyclists. It was also he who had collected the first reactions of the French tennis player Yannick Noah after his victory at Roland-Garros, in 1983, the last Grand Slam tournament won by a Frenchman. Jean-Michel Leulliot, a figure in sports journalism on television in the 1970s and 1980s, died on the night of Monday to Tuesday in Paris, his family announced to Agence France-Presse (AFP). He was 84 years old.
After being part of the team of the show “Stade 2” on Antenne 2 in the 1970s, Mr. Leulliot joined TF1, where he spent most of his career. Jean-Michel Leulliot had also presented television news on the first channel, then had been editor-in-chief of the morning and weekend newspapers in the 1980s and 1990s.
Jean-Michel Leulliot was the father of the singer Valérie Leulliot, creator of the pop group Autour de Lucie, whom he had had with Maryse, great voice of radio Europe 1, who later became the wife of Philippe Gildas. He was also the son of journalist and cycling race organizer Jean Leulliot.