Paris (AFP)
France Télévisions has decided to do without Patrick Montel for the World Athletics Championships in Doha: the journalist and historical commentator of this discipline on the public service, already removed from the Paris Marathon after controversial remarks about doping, is not part of the device unveiled Tuesday by the public group to cover the event.
France Télévisions made official on Tuesday the team that will cover the Worlds, which will take place in Qatar from September 27 to October 6.
Alexandre Boyon and Alexandre Pasteur will provide comments, along with consultants Stéphane Diagana and Yohann Diniz. In addition, Nelson Monfort will conduct trackside interviews, his great specialty.
Patrick Montel, self-proclaimed "voice of athletics", which follows the discipline for more than 30 years for France Televisions, will not cover these Worlds. He had already been removed from the Paris Marathon in April, shortly after statements that had been much in the news and attracted the wrath of some great athletes. He had however covered the European championships this summer in Poland. He is currently commenting on the Europe / USA track match in Minsk.
"Where does doping come from, is it the athlete himself who is responsible for doping or is it a system that drives the athlete to dope?" He said. said in a video on his Facebook page, adding that "everyone has an interest in the athlete getting doped". "Those who have the most means, of filouterie, will manage to pass between the drops and the others will be caught," he continued.
Faced with an avalanche of outraged reactions, especially from the world record holder Decathlon Kevin Mayer, the journalist had apologized. "I probably did not express myself well, and I am convinced that a huge majority of athletes do not use doping," he said.
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