There was not really any suspense on the straight where Vicaut advanced as the big favorite on the national level.

The Francilien, already crowned in 2013, did not miss the boat by winning gold in 6 sec 65 behind the Ivorian Arthur Cissé (6 sec 62).

But the doubts concerning him are far from being dispelled.

The former European 100m record holder (9 sec 86) did not manage to improve his best time of the year (6 sec 59) and to approach the minimums to qualify directly for the Championships. indoor world (March 18-20 in Belgrade), set at 6 sec 54 by the French Athletics Federation.

Vicaut, who is training again in Europe after two years spent in the United States under the orders of the American Rana Reider, has on the other hand already fulfilled the criteria defined by World Athletics (6 sec 63) and hopes to end up s seize a ticket to Serbia in extremis.

Jimmy Vicaut, winner of the 60m at the French Indoor Championships, February 26, 2022 in Miramas CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU AFP

"I'm happy to chain the races and my season. Of course I want the minimums, I really want to do the Worlds indoors, I've never done them. If I don't qualify, I'll be disgusted but the The N.1 objective is Eugene (the Outdoor Worlds in July, editor's note) and after that there will be the European Championships", declared the Frenchman, who will celebrate his 30th birthday on Sunday.

Chevrier's performance

For Kevin Mayer, the other tricolor headliner in the running on Saturday, things did not go exactly as planned either.

The decathlon world record holder planned to do one or two competitions with the heptathletes and the 60m hurdles with the specialists on Sunday.

But arriving sick and diminished in Miramas, the Olympic vice-champion (2016, 2021) had to turn his program upside down and will be content this weekend with his small passage on Saturday in weight with the combinards (15.46 m with two failed attempts on three).

Kevin Mayer, in the shot put, during the French Indoor Championships, February 26, 2022 in Miramas CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU AFP

"I really fought, he explained in a hoarse voice. It's a good performance. I went two on time, it was clean. I wanted to make the start of the heptathlon with my friends and the 60m hurdles tomorrow but it wasn't possible in this state. Frankly it's hard, I've had a long week of training and with the disease I can't see the day. My tendon right Achilles hurt me too so it might not be so bad to go quiet."

But nothing to worry the Frenchman, who still has two appointments to honour, March 5 at the Perche Elite Tour in Rouen and the next day at the Bercy meeting in Paris, before heading for the Indoor Worlds where he will try to win a second gold medal in the heptathlon after that of 2018.

"In terms of performance, everything I've done this winter is reassuring, he said. I know myself in the league, I only want to be there. I know that's where I'm going to be able to express myself, I'm looking forward to that. The things I've put in place in training show that it can go very, very strong."

The first day of the competition was also marked by a very fine women's pole vault competition won by Margot Chevrier with a jump to 4.65 m, a personal best pulverized, which places her in 7th place in the world record for 2022.

© 2022 AFP