{"id":1497,"date":"2023-06-02T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paris.diamondleague.com\/2023\/06\/02\/the-french-contingent-choice-hosts-at-charlety\/"},"modified":"2023-06-02T12:00:00","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T12:00:00","slug":"the-french-contingent-choice-hosts-at-charlety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paris.diamondleague.com\/en\/the-french-contingent-choice-hosts-at-charlety\/","title":{"rendered":"The French contingent, choice hosts at Charl\u00e9ty"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year at the Charl\u00e9ty Stadium, Benjamin Robert<\/strong> became the twelfth French athlete to secure victory in the Wanda Diamond League Meeting de Paris since the start of the 21st century. He posted a personal best time of 1\u201943\u2019\u201975, thanks to a fantastic and spectacular home straight. \u201cIt was crazy, absolutely mind-blowing,\u201d recalls the 25-year-old athlete. The race represented a \u2018paradigm shift\u2019 in his young career. \u201cMy whole status changed and that\u2019s exactly what I was after, he admits. From that moment on, I sensed that the other athletes, the umpires and the public in France viewed me differently. Strangers came up to me to congratulate me during the following competition. This year, I think even more will be expected of me.\u201d<\/p>\n

One major difference compared with the 2022 edition is that he was able to pass by virtually incognito, whilst Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, world champion in 2017, was stopped in his tracks every five metres to have his photo taken or sign an autograph, and enjoyed a standing ovation when the athletes were presented to the spectators. \u201cWitnessing that, I said to myself: Ah ha, so that\u2019s what it\u2019s like racing on home soil,\u201d explains the European Indoor number two. Running on home soil, in front of family, can add pressure and hence tension, but on the flipside of that it can also make things more exciting and make you more daring. This year\u2019s Meeting de Paris will be a kind of dry run prior to Paris 2024.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mindful of Paris 2024 and the ranking<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the past two years, with a view to the Olympic Games, the French Athletics Federation has put in place a strategy aimed at maximising the presence of France\u2019s athletes during the French leg of one of the most prestigious athletics circuits. \u201cOur main driver is to give them an opportunity to do battle with international competition in Paris and to familiarise themselves with this exceptional setting, though we\u2019re well aware that conditions at the Stade de France in a year\u2019s time will be rather different, explains Mehdi Baala<\/strong>, director of the French teams. Participating at the Meeting de Paris also provides the perfect opportunity to boost your ranking, the qualification system for the major championships, which is complementary to the minimum requirement, because the Wanda Diamond League meetings earn the most points.\u201d<\/p>\n

After the forty-six Frenchies competing in 2022, there will be more or less the same number on Charl\u00e9ty\u2019s blue track on 9 June. Solely the British contingent, with their meeting in Birmingham, are doing slightly better in terms of national representation within the scope of the Wanda Diamond League. \u201cLook out, the athletes we\u2019ve got competing all have the ability to perform well and have earned their place on the start list,\u201d explains Mehdi Baala. The aim is that they\u2019ll be competing against athletes of a similar level.\u201d <\/p>\n

A choice of lanes<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to the number of entries, the French Athletics Federation is \u201ctrying to make intelligent choices\u201d to get athletes competing with each other in great conditions. \u201cFor example, in the 200 m, 400 m or 400 m hurdles, we\u2019re trying to position them in lanes 7 or 8, rather than 1 or 2,\u201d explains the world number two in the 1,500 m in 2003. For the second year running, the hammer competition in the preliminary programme, outside Wanda Diamond League, has been arranged with the aim of enhancing the prestige of the discipline\u2019s specialists, who are currently very much in favour in France, spearheaded by the likes of Quentin Bigot<\/strong> (back in training and hence absent this year), Yann Chaussinand<\/strong> and Alexandra Tavernier<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

With one year to go until the Olympic Games, another French victory in Paris would work wonders with this approach. Hurdlers Wilhem Belocian<\/strong>, Just Kwaou-Mathey<\/strong> and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde<\/strong>, the 400 m hurdles specialist Wilfried Happio<\/strong>, as well as M\u00e9lina Robert-Michon<\/strong>, who\u2019s in great shape once more in the discus, have the potential to secure the top spots. Equally, we must not forget the world decathlon champion Kevin Mayer<\/strong>, who every time \u201csurpasses himself in what is a fantastic stadium for our sport\u201d and will be competing in a triathlon (outside Diamond League) that really appeals to his skills set – 110 m hurdles – long jump – shot put. For his part, Benjamin Robert<\/strong> is dreaming of a repeat performance: \u201cTo win once is great. But the toughest thing will be to repeat that. If I take a second win, that will prove that running on home soil enables me to surpass myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

French entries*<\/strong><\/p>\n

Men<\/u>
110 m hurdles: Wilhem Belocian, Just Kwaou-Mathey, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, Aurel Manga and Dimitri Bascou
400 m hurdles: Wilfried Happio and Ludvy Vaillant
800 m: Benjamin Robert and Yanis Meziane
2 miles: Etienne Daguinos
3,000 m steeplechase: Djilali Bedrani
Long jump: Jules Pommery and Erwan Konat\u00e9<\/p>\n

Women<\/u>
200 m: Gemima Joseph
400 m: Amandine Brossier
800 m: Agn\u00e8s Raharolahy
High jump: Nawal Meniker and Sol\u00e8ne Gicquel
Pole vault: Margot Chevrier and Ninon Chapelle
Discus: M\u00e9lina Robert-Michon and Amanda Ngandu-Ntumba<\/p>\n

Outside the Diamond League<\/u>
Men\u2019s hammer: Yann Chaussinand
Women\u2019s hammer: Alexandra Tavernier and Rose Loga
Triathlon: Kevin Mayer, Makenson Gletty, T\u00e9o Bastien, Arthur Pr\u00e9vost and Luc Brewin<\/p>\n

*Provisional list, subject to modifications<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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