From invectives to smiles, from the closed door of a disciplinary committee to a prestigious American competition in a few months, it is not only the witness who goes very quickly for the members of the 4x100 m tricolor relay, former medal provider who has fallen in anonymity.

Coming out of the last Olympics in the semi-finals after a big miss at the Doha Worlds in 2019 already, the torchbearers turned vehemently at the end of 2021 against their manager Dimitri Demonière against a background of tension and incomprehension.

Mouhamadou Fall and Amaury Golitin were suspended for a few months (partly suspended) by the disciplinary committee for their bad "behaviour" with the blue jersey, Demonière was dismissed, the French athletics federation (FFA) putting an end to a umpteenth stormy episode in its recent history.

"We want to ignore the past to show that this relay is doing well. We have a density that allows us to have ambitions", pleads with AFP Fabien Lambolez, the new boss of the sprinters, associated with Richard Cursaz, executive respected and experienced technician.

To restart the machine, the two men have integrated into the relay collective half of young people, including the great hope of the tricolor sprint Jeff Erius.

In mid-April, eight sprinters took off for a training course for Jacksonville (Florida) and rubbed shoulders with stars in their eyes, champions like Andre De Grasse or Trayvon Bromell.

Soldered to Penn Relays

At the end of the course, the Blues competed in and won the prestigious Penn Relays, a first for a French team.

"We wanted to finish at the Penn Relays, the Mecca of the relay, I absolutely wanted to take them there", explains Richard Cursaz to AFP, "to develop our + relay culture +."

The last French torchbearer Mouhamadou Fall (g), 2nd in the 4x100m of the Birmingham Diamond League meeting behind Canada's Andre De Grasse (d), May 21, 2022 Paul ELLIS AFP

"We have in France a technical tradition which has proven itself, but we must develop this culture, this identity, a collective dynamic between young and old which does not only concern the athletes but also their clubs and their personal trainers."

To find this dynamic, the officials interviewed all the athletes and their coaches, added relays to the programs of competitions in France such as June 8 in Cergy, and multiplied the gatherings.

On Saturday, Amaury Golitin, Jeff Erius, Mickaël Zeze and Mouhamadou Fall must work on their automatisms in the face of strong adversity in Birmingham (Canada, Great Britain ...), on the sidelines of the main program of the Diamond League.

"Kindness"

"We want clarity, transparency and benevolence between us even in the event of disagreement", summarizes Cursaz for the new state of mind.

Les Bleus, heirs to the 1990 world record holders (37 sec 79 for Max Morinière, Daniel Sangouma, Jean-Charles Trouabal and Bruno Marie-Rose) have not won an international medal in the 4x100m since 2014, the end of a golden period (European gold in 2010, world silver in 2011, Olympic bronze in 2012).

Last witnesses of this crazy time, Christophe Lemaitre and Jimmy Vicaut are for the moment more or less on the side for different reasons.

Vicaut, the innkeeper, has been marked by recent failures.

If he is still part of the collective, he chose not to go to the United States or Birmingham to favor an individual rise in power at the start of the season.

Lemaitre, he is for the moment out of the collective for lack of results.

But Richard Cursaz has renewed the dialogue with the two historic French sprinters, whom he had cornered among the hopefuls in 2009, before shining with them between 2010 and 2012.

"Lemaitre we give him time to come back to the level to then be at the service of the collective", assures the coach.

The team hopes to be competitive this summer to find the final at the World Championships in Eugene (Oregon), two years before the Paris Olympics.

© 2022 AFP