"I don't blame you for anything, huh... But you shouldn't do that in the Championship".

Gabriel Tual joked with Benjamin Robert in the mixed zone, shortly before learning of the disqualification of the latter, finally reclassified by the jury.

In the last straight line of a hair-raising 800m, the little Toulousain had slipped his shoulders between two competitors, a limit movement to win with a time of 1 min 43 sec 75/100, the third world time of the year, for a personal record.

The French showed a rare density on the double lap with a personal best for the Olympic finalist Gabriel Tual (1:44.23) and the minima for the Worlds of Eugene for Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (1:44.54), the champion of the world 2017.

"We have this competition, we are the same age, the same generation (with Tual), we have been together since the juniors. I have to raise my level. This level is thanks to the competition", commented Robert ( 24 years).

In the 110m hurdles, the unknown Just Kwaou-Mathey was the best Frenchman, 3rd in 13 sec 27/100, his record, behind the fit American Devon Allen (13.16).

Cyréna Samba-Mayela managed a convincing 12 sec 76/100 over 100 m hurdles, world minima in her pocket.

Before that, hope Sasha Zhoya had improved her series record (13 sec 40/100) but refused her place in the final, the fault of a painful knee.

Quentin Bigot in the hammer throw in the Parisian stage of the Diamond League, June 18, 2022 JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

Without Wilhem Belocian, embarrassed with a calf since Thursday, and with a running-in Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (13 sec 55/100) for his recovery after several injuries, the blue hurdles limp one month before the Worlds (July 15-24).

37° at the start of the competition

"Basically I run on one leg, it's the right leg, landing each hurdle is dangerous. It + does the job +, but it doesn't necessarily go very fast. But now that I've passed these barriers, it gave me confidence," PML commented.

The competition took place in the heat imposed by the scorching temperatures which have affected France for several days, from 37 degrees at the start of the competition to 30 degrees at the end of the evening.

Hammer thrower Quentin Bigot, mini-cooler slung over his shoulder, explained the tricks developed by athletes in the face of these conditions, he who had already experienced worse at the Tokyo Olympics last summer.

"With the heat what is hard to manage is the pre-competition, the air-conditioned call room before returning to the heat. For the wait between the tests I have my blocks of ice, I know how to manage, I have spray glue for sweaty hands. But it's true that it reduces performance", detailed the vice-world champion, 3rd Saturday with a throw of 78.12 m.

Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce explodes the 100m chrono in Paris, June 18, 2022 JULIEN DE ROSA AFP

Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (10 sec 67/100 over 100 m), Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the height (2.01 m) and Bahrain's Winfred Mutile Yavi in ​​the 3,000 m steeplechase (8 min 56 sec 55/ 100) achieved the best global performances of the year.

Nigerian Tobi Amusan broke the African record for the 100m hurdles in 12 sec 41/100.

© 2022 AFP