Albi (AFP)

Relocated to Albi and postponed to mid-September due to the health crisis, the French Athletics Championships scheduled for Saturday and Sunday are not spared by weight absences, symbols of a season totally upset by the coronavirus.

This annual meeting was initially to be held from June 19 to 21 in Angers but the pandemic upset the plans of the French Athletics Federation (FFA) which fell back on Albi, already the scene of this competition two years ago. years.

By opting for the city of Tarn and a late organization, the FFA managed to save the essentials but it may have discouraged some of its stars, already scalded by the postponement of the Tokyo Olympic Games to 2021 and the cancellation. of the Euro in Paris.

With a summer exercise shortened to two short months and without major events to motivate themselves, many of them have already set their sights on next year (Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, Mahiedine Mekhissi, Jimmy Vicaut, Rénelle Lamote, Morhad Amdouni) while others preferred to take the time to treat their injuries (adductors for Christophe Lemaitre, hamstrings for Pascal Martinot-Lagarde).

The proposed set necessarily suffers but the municipal stadium of Albi, whose capacity has been reduced by half, Covid-19 requires (4,000 spectators instead of 8,000 with compulsory wearing of the mask), will still see a few at work. sure values ​​of the Blues.

Two glorious alumni will try to further inflate their impressive statistics on the national level.

Mélina Robert-Michon will thus aim for a thirteenth title of champion of France in the discus and Renaud Lavillenie will want to reach the bar of ten outdoors in the pole vault, even if he is largely exceeded at the moment on the international scene by the duo Duplantis- Kendricks.

- A new record for Tavernier?

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At the record radius, the quest for 75m hammer could go through Albi for Alexandra Tavernier.

The European silver medalist brought in July the best French mark of all time to 74.94 m and is not very far from the goal.

After a frustrating year 2019 and an injury contracted just before the Worlds (elimination in the semi-finals), Wilhem Belocian came back strong in 2020 over 110 m hurdles with a personal best (13 sec 18) and will start largely favorite in the absence by Martinot-Lagarde.

"My season is a good surprise, without much deadline this year the goal is to enjoy it, explained the ex-junior world champion (25 years old). I hope to pass the milestone, achieve my goal, pass below 13 seconds a day. "

Kevin Mayer will make an appearance in Albi and will test himself by weight but also on the hurdles where it will be necessary to keep an eye on the young and promising Cyréna Samba-Mayela.

Teddy Tamgho's protégé has just fallen under 13 seconds (12 sec 87) on August 25 in Chorzow (Poland), and embodies the future of French athletics at only 19 years old.

"I will continue to have fun," she said. "Because running with the big girls is a world that I discover, it can be stressful, with the pressure to do things well."

The federation is also taking advantage of these French Championships to celebrate its centenary by inviting in particular some old glories of French athletics: Marie-José Pérec, Jean Galfione, Bruno Marie-Rose, Muriel Hurtis, Guy Drut, Stéphane Diagana and Christine Arron in particular .

© 2020 AFP