Bydgoszcz (Poland) (AFP)

The European Team Championships, played from Friday to Sunday in Bydgoszcz (Poland), are a great opportunity for some athletes to clinch their place for the Doha Worlds (27 September-6 October), before the opportunities become scarce .

A funny ballet is played in the broad arteries of Bydgoszcz, in northwestern Poland, where reams of new blazing blue tramways with rounded shapes cross their ancestors of the 1980s, cubic silhouettes faded red color.

For the athletes of the French team, no matter the color but no question of missing one of the last trains for the World Championships in Doha.

"The season is still long" has won the palm of the sentence most heard this year on athletics tracks. Except that it starts to be wrong and for some time is running out.

- Seven selected -

Some "happy few" have already composted their ticket for Doha: the world champions in title, automatically invited (Yohann Diniz on 50 km walk, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse on 800 m, Kevin Mayer on decathlon), the marathon runner Morhad Amdouni, the decathlete Basil Rolnin and walkers Kévin Campion and Gabriel Bordier (20 km).

At least twenty others will be part of the selection announced on August 13th (and completed on August 27th) because they have both achieved the minimums of the International Athletics Federation (IAAF), mandatory, and the "level of required performance ", rather desired in reality, by the French Athletics Federation (FFA).

Among them, the pitchers Mélina Robert-Michon (record), Alexandra Tavernier and Quentin Bigot (hammer) present themselves serenely in Poland, country where the throws are kings, to rub the competition and to bring back a maximum of points to France in this team competition (12 nations compete and present one man and one woman per discipline).

For others, like the 800m Vice European Champion Rénelle Lamote, Bydgoszcz is an opportunity to achieve a good time (the IAAF minima are 2: 00.60 on 800 m).

"I'm waiting for a race in which I can express myself thoroughly from A to Z, even though here it could be tactical (so slow)," said Lamote, who was late again due to a hip injury. (2: 02.49 at the moment) The period at the moment is tricky because the main thing is to qualify for Doha, but I feel that I'm doing good sessions I'm sure I'll be in shape Doha, I still have to qualify before August 25 ... "

The sprinter Christophe Lemaitre, disappointing at the French Championships in the 200m (6th in 20 sec 90/100) must also progress in Poland on 100 m then the relay, his individual place in Doha is not yet assured.

- Hurry up -

Especially since there will be few opportunities to meet the selection criteria before the end of August. Many mid-level meetings have already taken place this summer and the four remaining Diamond League meetings (Birmingham, Paris, Zürich, Brussels) are reserved for the world's elite.

But the national technical director (DTN) Patrice Gergès leaves the door open.

"If athletes are not quite in the nails (of the Federation) but they have a sufficient level for the future, we will see (...) All cases that have met the minimum IAAF will be studied."

"My logic this year is to have a different look on the champion of France, he showed in front of everyone that he was the best the day he needed," he says, "and Bydgoszcz is another good opportunity to show a face with the jersey of the France team ".

© 2019 AFP