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After Brazzaville in 2015, Marie-Josée Ta Lou again won gold in the 100m of the 2019 African Games this Tuesday, August 27 in Rabat. The Ivorian sprinter now heads to Doha, Qatar, where the next World Athletics Championships will be held from 27 September to 6 October.
From our special envoy to Morocco,
No matter the time of day (11''09), the smile is present. Marie-Josée Ta Lou , mental steel, won the 100m final at the African Games, as in 2015 in Brazzaville in Congo. She beat Gambian Gina Bass and Egyptian Basant Hemida. On the official podium, hand on heart, the native of Bouafé seemed happy with his performance.
However, just after her race, Marie-Josée Ta Lou admits to having " almost dropped " at the time of departure. " I managed to keep up the pace and impose myself, it's the most important. It is certainly the experience that played. My time is not bad and my preparation is going well, "she says.
Still on a podium this season
In the head of Marie-Josée Ta Lou, there is now the World Championships in Doha, Qatar (September 27-October 6). This is obviously the goal of the season for those who dream of a world title. The double vice-world champion in London in 2017 on the 100m and the 200m is waiting for her time. " I absolutely have to improve my start, " looses the one who will participate in the final of the Diamond League.
Saturday, August 24 in Paris , at age 30, for the sixth time in a row this year, the Ivorian sprinter had finished on the podium of the 100m. The reigning African champion finished second in 11-13 behind Jamaican Olympic champion Elaine Thompson (10''98), and like at the 2017 World Championships in London, she was ahead of Dutchman Dafne Schippers, who completed the podium (11''15).
" I will try to improve my time at the African Games in view of the Worlds. In Rabat, I think there will be a great battle with my compatriot Murielle Ahouré and the Nigerian Blessing Okagbare. Paris, it was a beautiful warm-up for Morocco, " said the Ivorian. In Morocco, during this final, his " sister " Murielle Ahouré had not made the trip and Blessing Okagbare was eliminated in the semifinal after a false start.
To re-read ► African Games / Fencing: Inès Boubakri, gold woman
From now on in the world
Four years ago, the small sprinter (1.59m, 57kg) was in the shadow of Murielle Ahouré. In 2016, she signed her first 100m win in the Diamond League in London, with her first time under 11 seconds (10''96). A few weeks later, in Rio, Brazil, she missed an Olympic medal in the 100m, with a superb time of 10''86 (4th).
A few months ago in Dakar, Marie-Josée Ta Lou already said that the year 2019 was going to count a lot in her career. " I work, I'm serious. We look at what has not worked in recent years and we try to correct. I improved my starts a lot and now, I have to improve my broken (arrivals, ed), "she said. " It stopped me from having bronze in Brazil and gold in London, " she added.
The sprinter from Abidjan is now a reference in the women's sprint and is one of the contenders for world titles. In Doha, she could become the first world champion in Africa 100m and / or 200m.