2023-08-04 17:06:45
Seventy-two French athletes, with pole vaulter Renaud Lavillenie but without hurdler Pascal Martinot-Lagarde, have been selected for the Budapest World Championships (August 19-27), the French Athletics Federation (FFA) announced on Friday.
One year before the Paris Olympics, the FFA has expanded its selection with 49 athletes for individual events, the others contenting themselves with the relays. Only 28 athletes were selected individually last summer at the Worlds in Eugene (Oregon, United States). They were 43 individually (60 in total) at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Only fourth at the French Championships last week in Albi, the international multi-medalist Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (31) will miss his first summer international competition since 2017. He was overtaken by his competitors Sasha Zhoya, Wilhem Belocian and Just Kwaou-Mathey, each country can only field three athletes per discipline. “Pascal reacted in an exemplary manner, worthy of the champion that he is, wishing the best to his opponents for the future”, underlines the director of high performance Romain Barras.
Despite a failed season so far and a zero at the French Championships, Renaud Lavillenie is part of the selection, thanks to his fifth place at the Worlds in Eugene (Oregon, United States) last summer.
“One year from Paris-2024, we wanted to give all athletes able to express themselves on the international stage the opportunity to compete with the world elite”, explains Romain Barras. “Our ambition is that no athlete arrive unselected for the Olympic Games next year. »
Sprinter Mouhamadou Fall, 31, released two weeks ago after risking a suspension for failing to comply with his anti-doping whereabouts obligations, was selected for the 4x100m relay but not in the individual 100m, despite his title of champion of France. Jimmy Vicaut, not qualified individually, was not even selected for the 4×100 m relay, “a concerted choice” with an athlete “exhausted”, indicated Barras.
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