Frenchwoman Rénelle Lamote (28) took second place in the 800m at the European Athletics Championships for the third time in her career on Saturday in Munich, bringing a sixth medal to France.

In 1:59.49, Lamote was edged out by British runner-up Keely Hodgkinson (1:59.04), Poland's Anna Wielgosz taking third place (1:59.87).

“Today I proved that I was really sick (from Covid-19, editor’s note) in Eugene and that I have the physical shape to fight against the best.

For my (new) coach, it is also the validation of our work.

It comforts us.

Me, it really reassures me a lot.

I'm happy to still be in the

game

at 28 and to be able to still be in the race for Paris-2024, it's super important for me and it's cool, ”appreciated the half-crosser.

Four years after his 2nd place at the Berlin Euro

Remaining on the front line almost the entire race, Lamote was able to respond to the attacks of her competitors at the end to secure the podium, without being able to do anything against the favorite Hodgkinson, Olympic vice-champion in 2021 and world vice-champion on last month in Eugene (USA).

Eliminated in the semi-finals of the Worlds, Lamote finds the podium of a major summer competition four years after her second place at the Berlin Euros, when she had already won continental silver in 2016 in Amsterdam.

"I'm a chatterbox, I'm so happy with my race!" she said with a smile on her face.

I lacked a bit of confidence at one point and they left, in the final straight after that I really raced and realized that maybe I could have done even better.

But it was honestly perfect.

I went to get this medal in a different way from the previous ones, I had the impression of being an actor in the race.

»

Several years of high level in the legs and stress

In four years, Lamote changed coach, leaving Thierry Choffin and Fontainebleau to settle in Montpellier with Bruno Gajer.

Worn out by years of high level and recurring stress, the semi-founder had taken a full two-month break after the Tokyo Olympics, where she was eliminated in the semi-finals.

"I needed it, I was exhausted from these two very intense Olympics," she told AFP in May.

All my old pains that had become chronic disappeared.

When I came back to the stadium, I wanted to train.

»

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