Doha (AFP)

Eliminations and disappointments are linked, the medals are moving away: the sinistrose is watching the team of France who, after a new dark day Sunday, completely miss the start of its Worlds in Doha (Qatar).

There was no hope of a medal on Sunday, but it is especially an elimination that hurts: that of the title holder of the 800 m Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (27 years), unable to rise to the level of the best at of his semifinal.

While he had passed the semi-finals hurdle in 2017 before winning the title to everyone's surprise, this time he suffered the race and finished 7th and last in 1m47.560s, far from the Bosnian Amel Tuka (1: 43.65).

"I was really fit, but today is the 800m game, I played too much, and before the race I look at the people I know in the audience so much I'm sure I'll be able to pass. I had no confidence today, it was not physical, just tactical, I got trapped, but I'm keeping my head up, "said Bosse after his 800m run in which he raced a long time. outside, using his forces before the end of the race.

- "We are far from being finished" -

The failure of the bronze medalist of the Berlin Euro in 2018 seems part of the negative spiral of the Blues, still without a medal since the start of these championships.

"We have to stop talking about spiraling, I have faith in the following athletes, they will put a stick in the gear and turn the spiral in the other direction.The team of France is beautiful," he said. he positived.

"Yesterday we were with (Pascal) Martinot-Lagarde and company, we just had our smile that has dropped little by little because they are friends we saw eliminated, Jimmy (Vicaut), Alexandra (Tavernier) ... But we are strong and we will demonstrate it, we are far from being finished even in this championship.I guarantee you there will be medals and beautiful, maybe even surprises. "

Bosse adds to the disappointments of the Blues in the aftermath of a dark day, including two of the usual locomotives of the team: 2012 Olympic champion and world record holder Renaud Lavillenie was eliminated in qualifying, and holding of the title of the 50 km walk Yohann Diniz gave up in the first part of the race, defeated by the heat. All without counting on the premature eliminations of Rénelle Lamote (800 m), Jimmy Vicaut (100 m) and Ludvy Vaillant (400 m hurdles), and the disappointment of Alexandra Tavernier (6th at the hammer).

- "A lot of stress" -

And the sky promises to be covered for the team of France in the coming days: they are safe because of eliminations to remain unkempt Monday before counting on Tuesday an authentic but improbable feat (Valentin Lavillenie at the pole or Alexie Alaïs javelin ) to get a first podium.

Sunday, the only smile in the mixed zone came with the pole vaulter Ninon Guillon-Rosemary, 12th in a very strong final (won by the Russian Anzhelika Sidorova with 4.95 m) having passed 4,70 m, equaling his best jump of the season.

Earlier in the evening, sprinter Mouhamadou Fall was eliminated in the 200-meter races by running very far from his level (4th in 20.63, while he has a record of 20.34), a distance over which the medalist Olympic bronze medalist Christophe Lemaitre had decided to make the impasse for lack of a sufficient form.

"I said to myself, go there were disappointments, try to give back a little sun, explained Fall (27 years) in mixed zone.In the end, I also join the list of disillusions. case I did not create an exploit ... "

"Compared to the Euro team in Bydgoszcz (in Poland in August) the atmosphere has nothing to do, there is a lot of stress, we see that it is not as open + as usual, we're not so happy, but that's understandable, it's not so good for the French team right now. "

© 2019 AFP