Paris (AFP)
The French Athletics Federation (FFA) on Friday unveiled a new version of the calendar of national competitions, disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, with in particular the holding of the French Championships on September 12 and 13 in Albi.
The "France" were originally scheduled to take place from June 19 to 21 in Angers, but the FFA had canceled all competitions on April 7 until the end of July due to the health crisis.
The Elite French Championships in Albi will be held "jointly" with the French Hopes Championships, said the FFA.
The rest of the competitions organized by the FFA will run from August 29 to October 31.
"The French Athletics Federation has always, since the beginning of this health crisis, worked to maintain a calendar of summer competitions and avoid a white season for our athletes," said FFA president André Giraud, in a press release.
"Summer competitions are indeed part of the DNA of our sport. We now hope that the development of the health crisis (..) will allow us to maintain all of these beautiful and many deadlines."
National technical director Patrice Gergès said that the FFA was working "on reconfiguring events, like those in the middle distance, which cannot, as they stand, be contested in compliance with the new health directives."
The FFA had published on Monday the procedures for resuming training in clubs for athletes, partly taking up the recommendations of its medical committee and the Ministry of Sports, with in particular an area of 4 m² to be respected between each individual at a standstill as well as a distance of 10 m between the runners.
© 2020 AFP