Until the Paris Olympics in 2024, the young Alsatian athlete of almost 18 years old, European record holder in the 100 meters (10.27), tells his journey to AFP.

In this second episode he looks back on his departure from Strasbourg for a new training group in Poitiers, and the winter days that follow one another, while waiting to rediscover the pleasure of competition.

"The transition between Strasbourg and Poitiers went pretty well, I had been prepared to leave for a long time, it was what I wanted so there was no reason for it to go wrong.

My mum was a little reluctant about me leaving at first because she thought I wouldn't be able to manage on my own, but in the end everything was fine.

My father doesn't have much time, but my mother, as soon as she can, she takes a short day off and comes to see me.

In our training group, we have a good laugh, we train well, everyone is progressing so it's cool. In terms of session content, it's quite different from what I was doing before, so at the beginning of the year it was quite hard, but gradually it gets better. And then I discover new things, so that's good. I always feel like I'm progressing, especially on the start (which was its weak point, editor's note), I've been working on it a lot lately and for the moment it announces something good, so we'll see on the first start of the school year (in competition).

Last year, I was training 12 hours a week, but now I've gone to 10 hours because normally I have a flexible schedule, but since I'm in final year and I'm taking the baccalaureate, it there are hours that unfortunately they have not been able to move.

On Tuesday, I have to finish classes at 6:00 p.m. and I can't train.

Otherwise I have two hours of training per evening the other days.

The problem is that often my days... are all the same!

I get up, I go to class, I have training, I go to the physio, I eat, I sleep.

I don't have much room for hobbies.

In December, we did an internship in Tenerife, just before the Christmas holidays.

I missed two weeks of classes but I made up for it there: as I had nothing to do apart from training, I had to devote myself to classes.

We were with Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, Wilhem Belocian... We were only between sprinters, we did lots of sessions, it was 20 degrees every day, it was cool.

Young sprinter Jeff Erius (right) trains in the 200m during a session on June 3, 2021 in Strasbourg.

PATRICK HERTZOG AFP

Next week, I resume competition at the meeting in Lyon, then there will be the meeting in Nantes, then that of Metz on February 12.

Then I continue with the French Youth Championships and the France Elite the following two weeks.

For the first two meetings I think I will only be in the 60m, but in Metz I will probably double 60m and 200m.

I don't set myself any goals in terms of time, I'm waiting to see what my first comeback will be like before setting myself something concrete.

For the moment my record on the 60 m indoors is 6 seconds 78, that of the 200 m at 21.60, but this one goes back two years.

This year, the Junior Worlds this summer in Colombia are my biggest deadline.

For the moment.

I may have others in the senior relay if I manage to take a place, but we're not there yet..."

Interview by Marc-Antoine BAUDOUX

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