Paris (AFP)

Teddy Tamgho, a tough, tough-tempered talent, had a career with unfinished tastes, with the injuries that slowly consumed the triple-jump world champion's career in 2013.

At 30, the Parisian decided to stop costs, now aware of his inability to one day find his best level, the one that had allowed him to rise to the world's throne in Moscow. This gold medal, which was supposed to mark the beginning of his reign, will finally remain as his main feat of arms and will never have followed. Blame it on a fragile body, which has betrayed it more than once.

Fractures of the femur and ankle, rupture of the Achilles tendon ... Nothing will have been spared the Frenchman who has missed most of the major events that marked his career (Worlds-2011 and 2015, JO-2012 and 2016 ). A real mess for the one who is still the 6th performer in history (18.04 m, on August 18, 2013 in Moscow) and the world record holder in the world (17.92 m, March 6, 2011 in Paris).

"I only remember the beautiful things, but he let loose in the bowels of the Charléty stadium, during the Diamond League meeting in Paris where he formalized the news, I only have the lessons, the successes, the victories, experience, I grew up as a man, intellectually and humanly, I learned a lot of things. "

"I'm relieved to move on," he added, "in my head, I stopped after the winter season, it's a well-considered decision, I consulted my team, my psychiatrist. to do it, the desire is no longer there. "

- Part of shadow -

Cuban protégé Ivan Pedroso has clearly missed out on an even more prestigious list, but Tamgho, born in Paris to Cameroonian parents, has also put some of his own. The man has his share of shadow and knew his share of business and controversy that disrupted his ascent. In October 2011, he received a 12-month suspension, six of which were suspended, and a fine of 5,000 euros after a violent altercation at Creps de Boulouris. The Tamgho show-man, who knew better than anyone how to harangue the crowd before leaping, makes it a rap, one of his great passions, where he mocks journalists, with whom his reports have always been complicated.

In June 2014, he was suspended for one year by the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) for three breaches of his localization requirements for doping controls in less than 18 months.

"I'm often told that there are two Teddy Tamgho, in fact, I'm so emotional that as soon as I'm touched, I react," he said early in his career.

Hanging spikes, it is from now on a career of coach who expects the champion of the world in room of 2009. A reconversion initiated since several months.

"I'm having more fun training than jumping," said Tamgho, who has made several comebacks since 2016. "You have to be lucid to say stop and move on." When I stop something, There are already two other projects I've started, it's only a step and now I'm going to put a lot of energy into my coaching. "

So we have not finished hearing Teddy Tamgho.

© 2019 AFP