Paris (AFP)
This is their last chance: Christophe Lemaitre (200 m) and Rénelle Lamote (800 m) have no choice if they want to be part of the World Cup in Doha (27 September-6 October) and must succeed the famous minima, Saturday at the Diamond League meeting in Paris.
While most of the headliners of tricolor athletics are present in the provisional list of 42 selected disclosed on August 13 by the French Federation (except Mahiedine Mekhissi package), Lamote and Lemaitre still missing the call and their situation becomes more and more worrisome as the fateful date of August 27 draws nearer, the deadline set by the FFA for entries to the World Championships.
This is to say if the pressure in Charlety will be intense on the two Blues, who will simply play their season on a single race.
An ultimate and hypothetical possibility of qualification could exist for both athletes by repechage, if the International Federation (IAAF) lacked competitors in their respective disciplines at the Worlds.
For Lemaitre and Lamote, the fault of this year 2019 for the moment very poorly negotiated is to look for the physical side. Both had to delay their return to injury and continue to pay the price. Back in early July at the competition after a warning left hamstring in the spring, Christophe Lemaitre (29), who had already skipped the indoor season for pain in a calf, was never able to find his best level on the half-lap of the track, finishing notably a poor 6th place at the French Championships (20.90), on July 28th.
- "No bad pressure" -
While the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist has been selected for the 4x100m French relay but individually his best time of 2019 over 200m (20sec 46) still leaves him at a respectable distance from the "required performance level" by FFA (20 sec 35) and IAAF minima (20 sec 40). After missing the Euro-2018 on injury, the record holder of France (19 sec 80) is in great danger and could be absent for the second time in a row from a big international competition.
Lemaitre is however confident in his ability to win his sesame for Doha.
"There is no bad pressure, nothing bad," he told AFP, "I'm approaching the meeting and I'm sure of my possibilities." The last training sessions went well. I had very good sensations on the short sprint, the speed ... Normally, it should do it, I have them in the legs. "
The strong heat expected and above all a plateau raised with the new nugget American Noah Lyles, 4th performer in history (19 sec 50), and the world champion Turkish Ramil Guliyev could help the sprinter of Aix-les-Bains to glimpse finally the light.
"It's going to be good to have some guys who are going very fast and you have to take advantage of that to get a good performance too," he said, "there will be competition, good conditions, so there will be everything. it takes to go fast. "
- "We'll see her in front of you" -
For Lamote, the equation is similar. Embarrassed by pain in a hip and tendon Achilles, the French (25 years) has resumed on July 27 at the Championships in France and runs logically after the time lost. In four outings, the vice-champion of Europe did not go faster on 800 m than the 2 min 01 sec 21 passed on August 10 at the Euro team in Bydgoszcz (Poland) and must pass the top speed for comply with the criteria of the FFA (2: 00.20) and the IAAF (2: 00.60).
"The tension is rising, it must be clear, told AFP coach Thierry Choffin, but she is good, she has done good sessions and has the minimum in the legs.Now, it will run for a good place If you want to beat the others, you will not be able to wait until you see them in front of Saturday, you do not have a choice. "
A non-participation in Worlds would be very damaging for Lamote who, in the absence of hyperandrogenic athletes whose double Olympic champion Caster Semenya, could have a very good shot to play in Qatar. It is up to her to avoid an enormous disillusionment on the track of Charlety.
© 2019 AFP