Paris (AFP)
The young hope of world athletics Sasha Zhoya has chosen to represent in international competitions France, his mother's country, rather than Australia, where he grew up, the French Athletics Federation (FFA) announced on Friday.
"The French Athletics Federation welcomes the choice of Sasha Zhoya and undertakes to support the athlete in his progression to the highest level," said the Federation in a press release.
Sasha Zhoya, 17, has the best world performances in history in the cadet category in the 110m hurdles (12 sec 87 on 91.4cm hurdles) and in the pole vault (5.56m).
The young man had to choose before the Junior Worlds in Kenya in July a country to represent between Australia, where he grew up, France, country of his mother, and Zimbabwe, country of his father. He had spent several weeks in France last summer to train in Clermont-Ferrand and participate in competitions.
To convince him, the FFA notably highlighted the facilities of Insep in Paris, the quality of its coaches and athletes on the hurdles but also the prospect of becoming one of the stars of the Paris Games in 2024 in home.
"After a long phase of reflection, I decided to represent France. (...) I can already imagine playing the Olympic Games at home, in 4 years, in front of [my friends]. It is a dream that is slowly starting to take shape, especially through my decision to represent France, "said Zhoya, quoted in the statement.
Sasha Zhoya must join the pole group of Philippe D'Encausse in Clermont-Ferrand, with the world recordman Renaud Lavillenie, but also a group "sprint-hedges" at Insep where he will be hatched by the 2005 world champion 110 m Ladji Doucouré hurdles.
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