Until the Paris Games in 2024, the 20-year-old hurdler tells AFP about his journey.

In this 7th episode, he looks back on the Caen Championships and reveals his American ambitions for his first major competition among seniors.

"There was no click in my head in Caen, it was in my body. I needed to manage pain. 13 sec 27 in series and 13 sec 17 in the final, these are times that I should have done from the start of the season. Before, it was only the body that slowed me down. It was frustrating, because I like to be able to give my all. Patience is not my strong point, but this year you had to be patient, it's part of the performance, I'm learning. I needed time to get to the level of the other hurdlers, at least in terms of speed, I'm not there yet. from a technical point of view. I can still go faster for sure. This was just my first fast races (over 106cm hurdles, after being the best junior in the world over 99cm hurdles )."

"At the French Championships, I was more happy with the time than with the place. The big names were missing, Wilhem Belocian and Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (injured, editor's note), I would have liked to fight with them. It's a title at 50% let's say. Afterwards I didn't even celebrate my birthday. Yet I like it, I'm a party animal, but I had a migraine after the race, I was in bed at midnight.

The joy of Frenchman Sasha Zhoya, winner of the 110m hurdles final at the French Championships, June 25, 2022 in Caen Sameer Al-DOUMY AFP / Archives

"Another world"

"The Eugene Worlds, in my mind I was sure to do them, I'm ready. As soon as I prepared the 106cm hurdles, I was preparing for Eugene. I'm in the + mix + with the best, I never doubted it."

"Over there I will have fast opponents, that's good that forces me to go as fast as them. I don't have too much pressure. On the other hand, they have pressure, if I go into the final with them. They must not be + hit + by a hopeful who has just started the hurdles at 106 cm."

Frenchman Sasha Zhoya (c), winner of the 110m hurdles final at the French Championships, June 25, 2022 in Caen Sameer Al-DOUMY AFP / Archives

"For the moment my body is at 80%. I have a little thing in the Achilles tendon. And I had an infiltration in the right knee at Insep after the French Championships."

"Nevertheless, of course I want to be on the podium. The final will be my comfort zone, where anything can happen. To be world champion, you will have to run in less than 13 seconds I think, it will be hot "After the junior championships last year, I discovered another world here, much more serious. There, it's another world, it forces me to adapt this way of life."

Interview by Robin GREMMEL

© 2022 AFP