Each of them share the same ambition: performance. With a little over a month to go until the World Championships in London, the MEETING de PARIS 2017 is part of the programme for French athletes. Indeed, it constitutes the first major event of their season. A unique opportunity to express themselves on home soil, at one with their public and to send a message to international competition. With it comes a first novelty: the meeting’s return to the Charléty stadium, an arena where athletes have always felt at home. “It’s an iconic stadium, which has been the theatre of a great many school and university confrontations, explains André Giraud, President of the French Athletics Federation (FFA), by way of introduction. This competition will launch an Olympiad during which there will be a whole series of major meetings organised across France, including the European Championships 2020. In fact, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our institutional partners, Paris City Hall and the Ile de France Region for their support.”
It’s a championship which will also feature Charléty as its theatre. Christophe Lemaitre has every intention of being there. However, the Olympic bronze medallist has somewhat closer objectives in the meantime, including the 2017 edition of the MEETING de PARIS. Not running at full pace during the second round of the Interclubs so as to avoid injury, he will now be able to really show the audience what he’s got. In Paris, he fully intends to make the most of the public support to stake a claim on the world podium in London this August. “We’re very lucky to have the opportunity to compete in a Diamond League meeting in France, he admits. There’s always a special atmosphere. I love top level competitions at home. It enables you to be in direct contact with the fans of the French team.”
Dimitri Bascou, he too a bronze medallist at the Rio Games also relishes this fact: the 110m hurdles at the MEETING de PARIS will be reminiscent of the world final. Taking the start will be the Jamaican Omar McLeod, reigning Olympic champion, already topping the leaderboard in the world rankings (13’’04 on 25 April in Des Moines), Russian Sergey Shubenkov, world champion in 2015, authorised by the IAAF to compete in international competitions as a neutral athlete during his federation’s suspension, plus an armada of French hotshots: Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, Garfield Darien, Wilhem Belocian. An explosive cocktail.
Renaud Lavillenie has for a long time made the MEETING de PARIS his exclusive reserve. Furthermore, his 2nd place in the Diamond League in Shanghai, on 13 May (5.83m), shows that his early season injury is behind him. He is aiming very high and will doubtless relish the challenge of competing against American Sam Kendricks, who beat him in China (5.88m), and Canadian Shawn Barber, reigning world champion. “The MEETING DE PARIS is an unmissable meet, explains the world pole vault record holder. I’ve already cleared 5.95m here, in Charléty, during the French Championships in 2013. We’re hoping for a packed stadium for a great celebration filled with emotion.”
For Kevin Mayer, the MEETING de PARIS may be an opportunity to go down in history. The French Athletics Federation (FFA), the event organiser, has for the first time added a triathlon to its programme, which comprises the 110m hurdles, long jump and javelin. The Olympic number two in the decathlon is keen to inaugurate the winners’ list as well as confirm that he is of world leader status in the combined event, a position he can now lay claim to after the departure of the American Ashton Eaton. “It’s an honour for decathletes everywhere that there is finally a triathlon in the Diamond League, says the appreciative athlete who is coached by Bertrand Valcin. I hope that it will continue to evolve into a real circuit. We’re going to have to try to attract the greatest decathletes to show that we’re interested in the project. This will be my role and that of the organisers.”
Floria Gueï began her 400m season last weekend. It was an introduction that culminated in a time of 52’’05 while trialling a new race pattern. The second best performer in France of all time over a lap of the track will be up against an entirely different competition during the MEETING de PARIS, a fact that greatly appeals to her: “Generally, the race is very refined. My physical condition should be just about at its peak. It’s a good challenge to take the start of a 400m with such a line-up.” The athlete from Lyon has already twice participated at the MEETING de Paris. “The first time I was invited to race here I was happy. It was pretty much a dream come true, she recalls, the emotion colouring her voice. In my younger days, I had an opportunity to go there with my club as a spectator.”
The French athletes will have an opportunity to shine on home soil, making the most of the confrontation thanks to several big names from world athletics. The American Christian Taylor and the German Thomas Röhler, respectively Olympic champions in the triple jump and javelin, have confirmed their presence. In the high jump, a top-flight duel is very much on the cards between Mutaz Essa Barshim and the Canadian Derek Drouin, medallist in Rio. Among the female contingent, we have Jamaican Elaine Thompson, “the female Bolt”, as she’s nicknamed by the vice-president of the FFA in charge of marketing, Laurent Boquillet, will be lining up down the straight. It also promises to be a fabulous battle in the 1,500m, with the duel between the Ethiopian runners Genzebe Dibaba and Almaz Ayana, with the Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, who took the crown in Brazil, acting as arbitor. Finally, among those announced as heading the bill, we have the Bahraini Ruth Jebet, who last year broke the world record in the 3,000m steeplechase at the Stade de France and will be making her comeback at the MEETING de PARIS.
Bridgestone, new partner to the MEETING de PARIS
Another piece of good news, for this first edition at the Charléty stadium: the MEETING de PARIS has a new partner. Bridgestone, the Japanese group that is the world number one tyre company, has signed up with the FFA as official title partner within the context of its campaign to activate the Olympic partnership "Poursuis Ton Rêve, Quoiqu'il Arrive". With this campaign, Bridgestone is keen to encourage those in pursuit of their dream and keen to overcome obstacles, whatever their age or their physical condition. Its partnership was made official on Monday 22 May in the presence of André Giraud, President of the FFA, and Benoit Raulin, CEO of Bridgestone France. “Athletics is the king sport par excellence, the latter explains. The culture of pushing back your limits is something that really speaks to us here at Bridgestone. As a manufacturer, we are compelled to excel in a bid to offer products of superior quality.” As a result, the athletes will be able to give it full throttle on 1 July 2017.
