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French
Every year, the best hurdlers on the planet come together at the Wanda Diamond League Meeting de Paris in the knowledge that their presence is eagerly awaited. In fact, some 18,000 spectators flock to the Charléty Stadium for a guaranteed showstopper, along with the cream of France’s high hurdle specialists keen to honour the tradition of excellence in the 110 m hurdles, in a country where their stellar predecessors include Guy Drut, Stéphane Caristan and Ladji Doucouré.
Last year saw yet another Frenchman, in the person of Sasha Zhoya, secure victory in Paris ahead of all the hot favourites. This native of Perth (Australia), a member of the Clermont Auvergne Athlétisme club, almost withdrew from the competition in the heats, before posting a fabulous finish outdoors in lane 8 to snatch victory in 13’’15, equalling his personal best at the time.
“The Meeting de Paris has a special place in my heart. It was on the Charléty track last year that I bagged my first Diamond League win. I’m eager to rediscover the public, who were absolutely incredible, as I know how much that spurs me on and enables me to compete in the best possible conditions to perform well. It’s going to be a great battle as it’ll be an elite line-up with Grant (Holloway) and the top French athletes like Wilhem (Belocian) and Just (Kwaou-Mathey), but that’s just the way I like it!”
Turning the situation to his advantage in the first two legs of the Grand Slam Track in Kingston (Jamaica) in early April and then again this weekend in Miami (United States), where his versatility worked wonders in the 110 m hurdles and the 100 m, Sasha Zhoya even treated himself to a new personal best with a time of 13”06, posting France’s third best performance of all time behind Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (12’’95) and his coach Ladji Doucouré (12’’98). Due to celebrate his 23rd birthday just five days after the meeting organised in the south of the French capital, he will be keen to finally shatter the 13’’ time and join a very select group alongside his two compatriots.
Just Kwaou-Mathey is also eager to be a part of the sub-13’’ family of course. The Norman athlete from Evreux AC, who suffered an Achilles tendon rupture in April 2024, has made a thundering comeback over the winter, the high point of which was a European bronze in the 60 m hurdles. He will be competing on home turf at Charléty, where he has already improved on his personal best three times with 13’’27 in 2022, then 13’’25 and 13’’09 in 2023.
“I’d incredibly motivated at the prospect of competing in the Meeting de Paris this year, exclaims the 25-year-old hurdler, who last raced a 110 m hurdles way back in September 2023. I have some fantastic memories of it as I’ve already smashed my personal best three times. As someone who was born in Paris, running in front of my loved ones is always a highlight and I really feed off this energy, which is so intense with all the fans in the stands. After last year’s injury, I was able to get back to the peak of fitness over the winter and I’m dreaming of a new personal best in the French capital thanks to the heat of the competition.” Deprived of the chance to perform at the Olympic Games last year due to a serious injury, Just Kwaou-Mathey has his sights on rekindling his love affair with the City of Light.