Tokyo (AFP)

Hurdler Wilhem Belocian, in the midst of the best season of his career, seems ready to use his silky technique to climb to the Olympic podium and carry on the French tradition over 110m hurdles, whose final is scheduled for Thursday.

Five years ago, during his series of the Olympic Games in Rio, Belocian was released on a false start, a heartbreak for this young shoot of French athletics, world champion and junior world record holder in 2014.

"Compared to 2016, I am different on all points", assures the Guadeloupe, 26 years old now.

Stronger, faster, more consistent, Belocian radiates the serenity of champions on the track.

In six races this season, he did not do less well than 13 sec 38. He even improved his record in the final of the French Championships in 13 sec 15, enough to position him first in Europe in the balance sheets, in 6th place in the field. Tokyo Games.

"To avoid adding pressure to myself I prefer to tell myself that all the counters are at zero. I do not place myself in the position of favorites but rather of an outsider to play a podium, I prefer to stay focused on me", advance the European bronze medalist in 2016, cautious.

- "A perfectionist" -

"Physically and mentally I am well, I just have to express myself. All my preparation has gone well, my state of form has held up until now."

# photo1

Freed from any injury, Belocian can express its full potential and make use of its main strength: the technique of passing over hurdles.

"Technically he is very coordinated. He has basically all the physical, technical and athletic qualities. As he is a perfectionist, he works to refine this technique. He knows that it is one of his strengths in relation to his height (1.78 m, modest for a hurdler) ", explains to AFP Ketty Cham, his trainer for ten years.

"He works a lot. When he feels that the crossing is not good, he comes back, he starts again, he works. At their level (at the Olympics), the winner will be the one who will be the most solid physically, who will not have sag between the hedges, the one who will not make a mistake, "she announces.

Despite its current level, there is no question of stopping working on its strong point.

"He still has areas for improvement. He still has small problems in the preparation of the impulse. It is the basis of the 110 m hurdles, redoing his ranges like a musician", image the CTN (technical advisor national) responsible for the West Indies.

- With Caristan -

The child of the Abyss, European indoor champion of the 60m this winter, has a well-functioning functioning: he lives in Guadeloupe about half of the year, and flies to the metropolis two months in winter and between three and four months in the summer.

# photo2

There, at Insep, he can benefit from the advice of the 2015 world champion in the 110m hurdles Ladji Doucouré, in addition to his coach who accompanies him a good part of the time.

In 2018, after an injury, he revamped his physique with the 1986 European champion Stéphane Caristan in the temple of French sport.

And recently, he took under his wing French hurdler prospect Sasha Zhoya, who still hopes to steal his junior world record.

Belocian has a real sense of heritage, in a discipline that is not lacking in France.

He dreams of becoming in Tokyo the 5th tricolor Olympic medalist on high hurdles after Guy Drut (silver in 1972, gold in 1976), Michèle Chardonnet (bronze in 1984), Patricia Girard (bronze in 1996) and Dimitri Bascou (bronze in 2016) ).

© 2021 AFP