There was no meeting record this Monday evening in Sotteville-lès-Rouen. The fault may have been a bit of wind which made the task more difficult for the athletes. They were around 150 to come and compete in the 33rd edition of the 4th biggest athletics competition in France.
French raid on 110 meters hurdles
15 days before the world championships in Eugene in the United States, it was in a way a last warm-up lap for the qualified athletes. This is particularly the case of Pascal Martinot Lagarde. The European champion in the 110 meter hurdles takes second place on a podium completed by two other Frenchmen, Aurel Manga and Dimitri Bascou. “That’s exactly what I wanted to do, a very technical race, where it doesn’t touch and there it’s mission accomplishedrejoiced Pascal Martinot Lagarde at the end of his race.
The runner who also salutes the level of the French team on the 110 meter hurdles: “I am really in a discipline, there is a lot of density in the French team and there it is again verified. It inevitably cuts to work even more so as not to let yourself pass
Vicaut at the top of the podium in the 100 meters
Another great performance of the evening, first and third place for Jimmy Vicaut in the 100 and 200 meters. On the first distance, the French rider achieves a time of 10 seconds 15, good omens before the Worlds: “It’s encouraging. I wanted to win before going to Eugene so I’m pretty happy there.“
Disappointment the local Odile Ahouanwanou
On the other hand, it went less well for the new African heptathlon champion, Odile Ahouanwanou. The Beninese, a member of the Sotteville club, lined up for the long jump competition and only finished in the penultimate place.
At home, in front of her audience, she would have liked to do much better: “I know the track and frankly I’m disappointed that I couldn’t do what I really wantedexplains Odile Ahouanwanou. I had a pain which arrived at the third jump so not to take any risks I stopped before the last two jumps.”
A competition which therefore ended relatively early for the local of the stage who hopes to find a good feeling before the worlds in 15 days.